Whatever It Takes
by mx33
Summary: Faye wants to complete her mission, but is she really ready for what is about to happen? Sequel to Familiar Stranger--complete
1. Time For School

Disclaimer: Ok, here's the drill. I don't own the X-men or the Brotherhood. I wish I had some part in it but I don't. Also, I try really hard to make the story follow the real Evolution plot line, if something sounded wrong, well, I tried.   
I do own Faye (and her aliases), the Circus Troupe (and their aliases), Daniel, Tom, Zhar (his realm), etc. You can't use them without authorization and recognition and you certainly can't steal them (that's just wrong!)  
  
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Quick legend:  
*=indicates thought  
~*=indicates telepathy  
_=indicates an accented word  
§=indicates translated text (if any)  
  
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Author's note= This follows the plot first presented in "Familiar Stranger." I hope it answers many of the questions that were still hanging. I'm trying to keep it simple and to the point, but who knows what my mind will cook up?  
Anyways, have fun! ^_^  
  
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The alarm rang for the fourth time that day on Kitty Pryde's room. She groaned in her bed, turned around and fell asleep again. Rogue was already on her way downstairs to eat breakfast.  
"Good morning, Rogue. Did you have a good night's sleep?" Scott tried making conversation as he, Rogue, and Jean headed for the kitchen.   
"Are ya kiddin'? With Kitty gabbin' all nahght on tha phone. It was Raven this and Raven that all nahght. Ah don't see wha she saw on that her that is so amazin'. Ah mean, tha woman nearly killed us all..." she trailed off as they entered the kitchen and saw Logan staring right at them.  
"Is Kitty up yet?" he asked, trying to pretend that he hadn't heard the comments Rogue made about Raven.  
"Ah don't know. Wha does it look like? That Ah'm her babysitter?"  
"Watchit, skunk-head. Ya don't wanna start anything today," he growled as he left the room.  
"Whoa...," said Kurt. "Is he moody today. What's his problem? Not enough food?"  
"No, I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Raven," answered Scott. "You know, I don't trust her at all."  
  
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"Finish your shower already, Faye," said Tom on the communicator that laid near a stained sink.  
"Oh, be quiet. This is the only time I actually get to relax and you're bothering me?" she answered from behind the curtain. "You better have turned off that satellite link, Tom."  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...You never let me have any fun."  
She laughed and went back to letting the water run on her face. It actually relaxed her and made her feel a lot better about all the things she had said and done, especially all the things she had said to Logan. He always had to suffer when she had a mission to complete.  
"Faye! You're going to be late!"  
"Oh, fine. I'm coming. Close your eyes," she joked.  
"I've just gotten another file from Rat, by the way."  
"Did you trace it this time?"  
"No, it was too fast. Three part coming from different directions. I couldn't do a thing."  
"Darn. How come we can never find out who he is?"  
"Assuming that it's a he we're talking about."  
"I know," she said as she pulled her the zipper on her skirt and fixed her blouse. "Hey, did you get that latex thing I asked you?"  
"Yes, I did. Do you know how to apply it?"  
"I'm sure I can figure it out. It'll be a lot easier than using my powers, and a lot safer too, especially with Jean around."  
"Whatever you say, darling"  
  
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"Where is Kitty?" asked Scott, impatiently.  
"I don't know. Let's just go, she can catch a ride with the others," said Kurt, looking at his watch.  
"Yeah, I'm sure they'll give her a ride. Uh-oh, we're going to be late."  
They left, as the others were getting out of the mansion and entering another one of the other cars.   
"Come on, we're going to be late for school," said Amara, running.  
"Where's Kitty? I thought she was still in the mansion," said Bobby.  
"Nah, I think she already went with Scott and Kurt," said Rahne.  
"Alright then, let's go then," replied Bobby.  
As they left the mansion, Kitty phased through her room and ran, leaving all her things falling everywhere.  
"Wait! Wait for me!" she cried as she ran down the stairs. "Oh! That's just great! Like, how am I going to get to school now?"  
"What's the long face for, half-pint?" a gruff voice asked behind her.  
"Mr. Logan! Could you, like, give me a ride to school? The others left me behind and I have a really important Chemistry test today, I can't miss it."  
"No way. Get Chuck ta drive ya. I ain't gonna go nowhere today. It ain't my fault ya missed the time."  
"Please, Mr. Logan."  
"Don't make that face. Ya know I hate that," he said as she prepared her best puppy-eyed look. "Aww...alright. Let me just grab my hat," he grumbled.  
Kitty smiled greatly and jumped up and down.  
They made their way out of the mansion and toward the garage. Logan looked at his bike and groaned to find out that he hadn't yet had the time to fix the damage Faye had made on it. He looked around for another available car and found that the X-van wasn't taken. They got in and headed toward Bayville High.  
  
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"Are you all set?" Tom asked for the seventh time in ten minutes.  
"Yes, yes, I'm coming," said Faye as she looked around the small studio she had found.  
It was an backwards L-shaped, rather small cubicle, but she had to keep costs low. On the left side, as one came in, was a kitchen. Right opposite of that was a sofa and a small television. At the head of the "L" was a bed with two doors to the side and a window behind it. One of the doors held a closet and the other led to a minuscule bathroom.  
The same day of the Psepclips' "visit", Rat had approached her with a package. It contained two thousand dollars in small bills. Rat had said that it would keep her for a month, if she kept spending to a minimum. She tried looking at Rat or at least registering his energy but he formed a wall around himself. She could never understand why he didn't just show himself to her, she wasn't going to do anything to him; after all, he knew more about things that were happening than she.  
It was now two days after that fateful Saturday morning with the X-men and the threat that came early, and yet she wasn't positive that it was not the exact threat that she was expecting. In fact, she _knew_ that the "Psepclip Incident", as it came to be known in her memory bank, was just a wild coincidence. The X-men would've relaxed by now and she was sure that she would have no problem covering up her whereabouts during the weekend, lest anyone be suspicious. Not that anyone would be, of course.  
She stepped out on that gray Monday morning and headed towards Bayville High. Traffic was intense and the energy hung heavily in the air. The vibe kept on changing every now and then, Faye didn't like what she was sensing; however, the one who was most worried was Daniel. He shifted uneasily deep inside Faye and looked around, apprehensively, with her eyes. She turned around a corner and headed toward the front of the school as a black van pulled up and Kitty got out thanking Logan for the ride.  
"Hey, Jade! Come on, we're, like, super late today," she called out as she spotted Faye walking.  
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you in a second," she answered.  
Kitty ran inside the school as the bell rang. Faye approached the van and looked at Logan from the window of the passenger seat.  
"So, Logan, I see you're playing chauffeur now."  
"Shut up," he said, dryly.  
"Aw, come on, Logan. You know I didn't mean any of that stuff I said."  
"I don't care. Just leave."  
"Fine, but keep your eyes and ears open. Something big is coming."  
"Whatever."  
"Ok, don't say I didn't warn you. Oh, Logan...that reminds me, whatever happened to your bike?"  
Logan growled, extended his claws, and reached over the passenger seat to hurt Faye. She jumped back and laughed. The late bell rang, she blew him a little kiss and went inside. 


	2. It's A Date

Risty Wilde looked uneasily inside her locker after the bell for lunch had rung. Another note was sitting inside. She had already received one of these before, but after she had ignored it they stopped coming. She unfolded the note slowly as her thoughts grew darker still, the note said the same thing as before. She had been very careful as to not give any kind of clues, she had been extra careful with all the little details. Killing off the girl whose identity she'd stolen, faking an English accent, making a passport, all of it was now for nothing. Some pathetic little loser found out who she really was, some idiot would have to die. Oh, yes, that was the perfect plan. She would meet with this poor excuse for a blackmailer and then let the Brotherhood take care of him. She tore the paper up and threw it in the nearest trash can. She didn't need this note, she had kept the one from before.  
Rogue came running to meet Risty for lunch. Killing off the little snitch would have to wait. She waved to Rogue and went to join her.  
"Rogue!" someone called from behind them, just as they were going to make plans for the afternoon.  
A dark-haired girl approached them. Risty looked at her suspiciously.  
"Here's your book back. Thank you so much for letting me use it during the weekend," said the girl taking a drama book from her messenger bag and handing it to Rogue. "I really had no way of making up all the stuff I missed."  
"Aw, it was nothin', sugah. Anytahme," Rogue said, smiling.  
"You have to let me make it up to you."  
"No, seriously. Ya don't have to."  
"No, really. I always repay my favors. How about you, Scott and I go out this weekend? I have a debt with him too. We'll do lunch or catch a movie, my treat."  
"Ah...uh..."  
"Aw, come on. I know you have a little crush on him. Maybe I could help you out with that. I'll bring a friend too, that way it'll be like a double date. What do you say?" asked Jade eagerly.  
"Oh, Ah don't know."  
"What if Scott finds out?" asked Risty, trying to free Rogue up.  
"Well, we don't have to tell him. It'll be our little secret," she answered, smiling and winking to Rogue.  
Rogue smiled widely and nodded. Risty had no way out but support her "friend." Rogue was too important to lose so she had to allow her to with this...whoever she was.  
"Thanks, Jade. Ah owe ya one."  
"Nah, we're even remember? Oh, I gotta go. I need to find to Scott and tell him about this weekend. See ya," Jade called out as she was leaving.  
"Who is she?" asked Risty, when Jade was gone.  
"She's the girl I was telling you about. She just transferred here. Her name is Jade Fey. She's cool. Oh, my... what am Ah gonna wear?"  
  
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"Tom, contact Rat," said Jade.  
"Why? How?"  
"I don't know, put an ad in the newspaper, get creative, I don't care."  
"Well, ok. What for, though?"  
"I need Irvine's help. I promised Rogue I was going to bring a friend and I don't know anybody else."  
"Oh, well. At least you've got one down, how are you going to get Summers to come?" Tom said in her ear.  
Faye had made many improvements since the meeting she was forced to have with the X-men. She found a dye that was a shade darker for her hair and used it, making sure no one would notice the difference. She also changed the color of her eyes with contacts, and used Daniel's powers to change everyone's memories. And, if that wasn't enough, she ditched the watch she used to communicate with Tom and used a earpiece and a small microphone in the shape of a button. It was a lot safer than using her thoughts, lest Ms. Grey be snooping around where she wasn't invited.  
"I'll think of something," she whispered, now being careful that no one heard her.  
"Don't look now, but here he comes."  
"Great timing."  
"Not really, he has Jean with him."  
"Oh, great."  
"Hey, Jade," said Scott, smiling at her.  
"Oh, hey, Scott. Jean. Could I talk to you for a second?" she said eyeing Jean.  
"Uh...sure," said Scott.  
"Well, don't worry about me. I'll just try to find Duncan. I'll see you later, Scott?"  
"Sure, Jean, see ya."  
Jean left, somewhat troubled. She really didn't like that new girl hanging around Scott like that. It's not that she was jealous or anything, she just didn't trust her for some reason.  
"So what's up?" he said, after Jean was gone.  
"Well, I've been having a bit of a hard time fitting in here," she tried, and noticed she had caught his attention. "And I really wanted to make some friends..."  
"But you have friends," interrupted Scott.  
"Yeah, just you. Not that it's not good enough, I just..."  
"No, no, I understand. But you should really take a look around you. Kitty loves you, Kurt does too, and Jean...well, she's...you know...she'll come around."  
"Yeah, I'm sure, when Hell freezes over. Anyways, what I really wanted to ask you is for a favor."  
"Sure, anything."  
"Oooouuu, you got him now, girl," said Tom in her ear.  
"Rogue told me that she wanted to do something this weekend," she continued, ignoring him. "I think she's bringing one of her friends with us and I didn't wanna be the odd-girl out or anything, so..."  
"What's your point?" asked Scott, interested. He loved Jean, but Jade was really pretty and enticing.  
"Would you please come with me?"  
"This weekend right?"  
Jade smiled looking at him.  
"Sure," he said, finally, and smiled. "It's a date!"  
  
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Jade had lunch as usual with Scott, Evan, and Kurt and Kitty. They sat around, talking about things and making plans for the rest of the week, when an alarm went off on Jade's ear. She gripped the sides of her head, as the painful noise kept on ringing inside her head.  
"Make it stop!!" she managed to say through her gritted teeth.  
"Jade, are you okay?" asked Scott putting one arm around her shoulders.  
Suddenly, the noise stopped. Her head weighed heavily on her shoulders and neck. Jade looked around her, she saw that everyone at the table was looking at her curiously. She smiled wearily and tried to think of a way out of that situation.  
"Splitting headache," Tom said on her ear.  
"Splitting headache," she repeated.  
"What?" asked Kurt.  
"Yeah, I have that sometimes. I didn't get that much sleep yesterday, and I guess I just felt the results of it now." She paused and looked at each person that sat on the table; they had all bought her explanation, all but Scott, who was still looking at her skeptically. She gave him a half-smile and told everyone that she had to leave.  
"Like, take care of that headache, ok?" said Kitty, as Jade got up.  
"I will," she said, tossing her milk to Evan.  
"I know how that feels," Kitty started telling Evan and Kurt. Scott was still looking at Jade. She paused like she was fixing her bag for a second and listened.   
"Every time I'm on the phone with Lance, I wake up with one of those. They're, like, killer," Kitty kept on going.  
When she saw that the conversation had changed to that direction she got up. Her eyes met Scott's for a second.  
"I'll catch you later," she said, smiling.  
"Yeah, later," said Scott, thoughtfully.  
  
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"What was that all about?" asked Jade, checking that the stalls on the girls' restroom were really empty.  
"Rat wants to talk to you," said Tom, calmly.  
"And you go and pull a stunt like that?!? What if someone got suspicious?"  
"Someone did get suspicious, Faye, my love. Scott Summers."  
"Shit!" she exclaimed, which was followed by a string of curse words and kicks and punches on the walls and stall doors.  
"Faye!"  
"Oh, what else do you want me to do? Why didn't you use Daniel's powers to take the distrust right out of his head?"  
"Jean was too close. We couldn't risk it."  
"Goddammit!!! Why did you do that for, Tom? Do you realize that you just jeopardized the entire mission?"  
"What are you talking about, woman? I didn't do anything! I swear!"  
"Right and the communicator just malfunctioned by itself, out of nowhere. Sure, I believe you."  
"Oh, that hurts, Faye, it really does. I didn't do anything, all right? And I don't have any readings that anything happened at all. I am as lost as you are."  
"Then, find where that came from so I can kill the idiot responsible for it. Meanwhile, I'll be going to class, but not before I leave another note on Risty's locker."  
  
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Risty opened her locker to find another note inside.   
*Well, this is a persistent little fellow,* she thought.  
Curiosity settled and she decided to read the note after all. Without anyone noticing, she opened the paper and read.  
  
"There'll be a game on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Come watch the game, I want to see you on the stands. After the game is over, you'll wait underneath the bleachers for me. Don't come looking for me, I'll find you.  
"If you do not come, I'll tell everyone your little secret. I will especially enjoy the face that you son, Kurt Wagner, and your precious little Rogue will make when they find out that you're still around. Now you wouldn't want that to happen, would you, Mystique?"  
  
*Oh, that idiot has some guts pushing her around like this,* she thought, gripping the note.  
She wanted to rip each and every one of the hairs on his head out, while inflicting a lot of pain. No, whatever she thought she could do to this guy wasn't good enough, she needed to something that he would never forget. Suddenly, her eyes brightened, she knew exactly how to spoil this guy's plans.  
She opened the note once again re-read the instructions.  
"It's a date," she whispered shoving the note on her backpack.  
She grinned slyly as she thought of Sabertooth...... 


	3. Suspicions

"Yo, what's that?" asked Todd, eyeing Pietro's hands.  
"An envelope. What do you think? It came with today's mail," he answered.  
"But we never get any mail," said Fred.  
"Exactly," said Pietro. "This is very strange."  
"Open it," said Fred.  
"You open it," said Pietro.  
"I'll open it," said Tabitha, taking the envelope from Pietro's hands.  
"Ok, but if it blows up, it's been nice knowing ya," said Pietro, sarcastically.  
"Idiot...Ok, here goes nothing," said Tabitha.  
She sat down on the floor and put the envelope on a small coffee table. The others surrounded her and looked anxiously at the envelope. She opened the envelope and gasped. On top of the table, she dumped a bunch of dollar bills and a note.  
"Whoa! We hit the jackpot, yo," exclaimed Todd.  
"Ok, where did you guys get all that money?" asked Lance as he was coming into the room. "Did you guys rob a bank or something?"  
"Although I am fast enough to do that, no, we didn't. It came in the mail," said Pietro. "Hey, there's a note here," he quickly added, and snatched the note before anyone could even blink.  
"Well, what does it say?" asked Todd making room for Lance, who was shoving him aside.  
"It says:  
'I have a little job for you to complete. It's for someone who needs to be taught a lesson, and I know you're just the guys to do it. The money is just a taste of the reward you'll be getting upon completion of the job. But remember: don't ask, don't tell. I'll get in touch with more instructions later.'  
"Funny," he added, after he was done. "It's not signed."  
"I don't like the sound of that," said Fred, eyeing the money.  
"I don't know, yo. What if it's something we can't handle?" asked Todd.  
"What are you talking about?" asked Lance. "There's nothing we can't handle!"  
"Besides look at all that money! All we have to do is get a little rough with some punk! It'll be fun! Let's do it, you guys," said Tabitha.  
"I agree with her, guys. We could really use this kind of money," said Fred.  
"Well, I don't care what you guys think. I'm taking it. I don't care what Mystique or Magneto will think," said Pietro. "Besides, they left us here with no other choice but to look after ourselves."  
"It's settled then. The Brotherhood is back in action," said Toad, jumping up.  
  
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"Professor?" said Scott entering the library. "Do you have a minute? I have a problem."  
"Sure, Scott. What's wrong?"  
"I don't really know how to approach it, though."  
"Just try something."  
"Well, what should I do if I think a friend of mine is lying?"  
"Do you know what he or she is lying about?"  
"No, I've just got a weird feeling about it. It could be that this friend is.....a mutant."  
"Well, now, that is a rather delicate situation. You should make sure of it first. Not everybody is ready to deal with the fact that mutants indeed exist."  
"I know and that's mostly what I'm confused about, I don't know if she...or he, really has powers."  
"I suggest you make sure first before saying anything. Now, if you really care about this friend, you should be there for her...or him. He or she will need your support no matter what."  
"I understand. Thanks, Professor," said Scott, leaving through the door Logan had just opened.  
"What's with the kid?" asked Logan.  
"He's concerned about his friend Jade. He said that she's been acting weird."  
"How's he know? Didn't he just meet her?"  
"Yes, about two weeks ago, but he thinks that something about her doesn't particularly fit."  
"And ya got all that by askin' him?"  
"Well, I'm afraid I'm guilty there, old friend," said Xavier with a small smile on his face.  
"And ya didn't happened ta see anything else while in there, did ya?"  
"I saw that she has extremely good grades, that she has already caught up with most of the school work that took the other kids the entire semester to do and that she just had a really strong headache today. That's enough to make anyone suspicious, isn't it?"  
"And...?" asked Logan, trying to keep calm.  
"And I'd say she's either a telepath or really, really good."  
"Hmm...and what are the chances that she's really, really good?" he asked walking toward the door.  
"Very slim I'd say. Logan, would you please try to contact this girl, tell her that I'd like to speak to her privately, at any time she sees fit. And, Logan, please do try to be as courteous as you can."  
"Are ya sure ye're not better off giving this assignment to someone else? Like red or half pint or something."  
"If this girl turns out not to be a mutant, it would compromise her relationship to any of the students that actually go to Bayville High. No, right now I can't risk exposing the kids like that. I can't send Hank, lest her be scared; and Ororo is still resting after the attack so there's only you. I'm sure you won't mind, will you?" asked the Professor searching his mind.  
"Nah, I'll get to it," he said, calmly.  
"By the way, Logan," said the Professor, looking out the window, "how's your bike? You've been working on it all day."  
"It's good," Logan grunted, rapidly, and left the room. He had to warn Faye.  
  
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"Faye!" screamed Tom in the communicator. He had been trying to reach her for a while now and she still wouldn't answer. The first communicator that short-circuited earlier had been replaced by another one, but there were still many problems with it.  
She had been sitting at a department meeting with Dr. Markes and some of the other researches at the university. Faye jumped up, somewhat shaken and startled.  
"Is everything all right, Sakura?" asked Markes, stopping in the middle of his presentation.  
"Yes, well, I'm good. I'm just very anxious to get back to work," she said, laughing.  
"Well, I can't argue with inspiration. You may be excused. I've already covered your section so I'll just run things by you later, ok?"  
"Yes, thank you very much," she said, not forgetting to bow slightly to him and to the others before leaving.  
"Kids," said Markes after she closed the door. The others laughed with him and he got back to his presentation.  
  
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Faye reached the quiet of her office and breathed easier.  
"What now? You know, ya really gotta stop doin' that, bub, I'm runnin' outta explanations. I really otta let ya have it," she said, angrily.  
"Yes, well, I wish I had the time, or the stomach, to translate whatever you said in the Logan jargon you picked up and now tend to use when you're mad, but...I've got better things to do."  
"Oh, yeah, like what?"  
"Like act as your secretary, for one. Rat has already called twice."  
"When did we get a phone?"  
"We didn't. I hacked into one and used it as cheese for the Rat. I know what you're going to ask, and yes, I did trace his call. He called from a pay phone at the corner of Bayville Avenue and Ludlam Avenue."  
"Bright, busy place, anyone could've seen him. Why do it from there?"  
"True, anyone could've used the same phone as well. There are at least a couple of them on streets like that."  
"Whatever his reason was," she shrugged. "What were the messages?"  
"The first one was beware. He sounded very nervous and after a while repeated the same thing, the phone went mute for a second or two and then there was a very weird noise on the other side of the line. Some of my circuits even went haywire for a while."  
"Oh, so that's why it was so quiet over there. That's very strange."  
"Yes," Tom answered, ignoring Faye's little comment. "However, he then promptly called back--it was a different number this time--and said something about meeting you tonight at 1:30; and something else about not having much time. I didn't understand it very well, there was a lot of static."  
"On a pay phone?"  
"I know, anyway, here's a recording of it. I'll play it back for you."  
"Okay," she said, sitting back in her chair and closing her eyes.  
Rat's raspy voice started filling her ear, it seemed frantic and very nervous.  
"Tonight...1:30 (static) portant (static) sage (static) there isn't much time (static) re not (static) time (static)...."  
"God, that's awful. Make a copy of it and put it on a cassette tape. I'll get it with you when I get home. I need to listen to it very slowly."  
"Sure thing, love."  
"I'll be home in a few. Oh, I just remembered, did you find out what happened with the communicator this morning?"  
"Nope, nothing yet. I'm still working on it. I want to take a look at that earpiece."  
"I'll just give it to you when I get home, then."  
  
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The clock struck ten o'clock and Faye's eyes were getting tired. She couldn't take much more of that life, but she had to go on. She looked through the microscope once again.   
*No change,* she thought and rubbed her eyes slowly.  
She put her head back and heard the base of her neck crack. She sure could use a break right about now. She needed to get over to her home, talk to Tom, and then get to the Institute to assume her post as a lookout.  
She got up from her stool and started collecting the several Petri dishes she had laid before her.  
"Tomorrow, you guys," she murmured as she put them all away.  
She collected her stuff and checked the time again. She now had less than 20 minutes to get home, get changed and get going. She sighed and headed out the door.  
Once Faye reached outside, the cold night air hit her skin fiercely. She stopped, put down her bag, put on her newly-acquired trench coat, grabbed her bag, drew her collar closer to her neck, and shoved her hands into the pockets. Watch guard duties were going to be extra tough today, the weather usually gets rough around this time of the year. She started walking when an engine roared near her.  
"Need a ride, babe?" asked a gruff voice behind her.  
"I thought ya didn't want anythin' ta do with me," she said bitterly, without turning.  
"I don't, but I'm worried about ya."  
"Well, I'm fine. I don't need your help," she said as she started walking again.  
Logan hopped out of his bike and grabbed her arm. He gripped it hard, he really wanted to hurt her; hurt her for being so stupid, hurt her for acting like she didn't care, hurt her for being so beautiful and for messing with him so much. She tried breaking from his grip, but his fingers only dug deeper into her arm.  
"Whatcha doin' here?" he asked.  
"This and that."  
"Experimentin'," he said, sniffing her hair.  
"Genetics, mostly. DNA and stuff. I do have a reputation to keep."  
"Still lookin' for an answer, ain't ya?"  
"SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING?!?!?!?" screamed Tom on her ear.  
Faye put her hand head and groaned. Logan looked at her curiously. She reached inside her ear and pulled out a small spiral hook. A voice could still be heard from it. Logan chuckled and let go of Faye's arm.  
"Thanks, Logan," she said, jamming the communicator into her pocket.  
"No problem, anytime. Now, how about I take ya home?"  
"Sure. Glad to see that your pride and joy is feeling better. I'll make it up to you somehow," she said wrapping her arms gently, but firmly, around his waist.  
"Yea, I'm sure ya will," he said, softly stroking the back of her hand.  
He turned the bike on and drove down the street, unknown that at a distance a dark figure watched them. 


	4. Followed

Faye opened the door to her studio and they stepped in. The moldy smell of it hit Logan's nostrils like a truck on a brick wall. He held his breath a while to get used to the smell as he watched Faye drop her bag and walk around like a busy bee. Tom had already opened a portal on one of the walls.  
"I'm crossing, do you wanna come or are you just gonna sit there?" she asked.  
"I'll wait here, if ya don't mind. I hate crossing."  
"Suit yourself, I'll be back in a bit."  
Logan leaned back on the couch and pulled his hat over his eyes. She looked at him for a while, then turned around and crossed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"About time," said Tom from his tank. "And you brought company! How delightful!" he added, sarcastically.  
"Shush, Tom," Faye said stepping into his little sanctuary.  
It was a square room. The walls were made of metal and there were no doors nor windows. In the middle of the room was Tom's tank, a big, round, cylinder-shaped glass dome that reached the ceiling and was connected to a bunch of computers and other machines through wires and tubes. Inside the tank rested Tom's body. Physically, he was tall and lanky, his hair was now light blue due to the many chemicals that kept him alive and his eyes were deep green. On his head, he had the same band that Faye uses; with one difference, his jewel was deep yellow. Tom was connected to a bunch of wires that ran toward the top of his tank.  
"Where's the tape?" she asked.  
"First things first, why are you putting yourself in such situations?" he asked looking at her.  
"What are you talking about?" she said, sitting on a nearby table.  
"Don't play dumb, or in your case, you aren't playing."  
"Ha-ha. The university, right?"  
"Yes, why must you torture yourself this way?"  
"Tom, I wanna know."  
She jumped down from the table and paced around in front of the tank, Tom followed her closely with his eyes.  
"There's nothing to know," he said quietly.  
"There has to be!" she exclaimed.  
She walked around the tank fiercely now, then she abruptly stopped and placed one hand on the glass. He pushed himself forward and touched the same place on his side of the glass.  
"Faye, you know I love you dearly. We've been through so much together, I know you better than anyone, you're a wonderful human being."  
"I'm not sure if I'm even that," she said, placing both hands, one on top of the other, on the glass and resting her forehead on them. Tom did the same thing. She looked deeply into his eyes and sighed.  
"Let me continue," she whispered.  
"Fine," he said, pushing himself upright. "I can't stop you in any way. Will you at least tell me what you're doing so I can tell if it's illegal or not?"  
"I'm conducting the same kind of experiments that were done on me and all the other kids on Project Gene. I, on the other hand, started with a couple of amoebas and other single-celled organisms."   
"So, you're using radiation? Gamma rays and all of that?"  
"Yeah, if it works out, I'll try to move on to some small animals. Maybe then I'll have my answer."  
"Fine," he answered after a while. "Keep looking. Meanwhile, I'll look for the cause of our little misfortune today. You know the drill, place the communicator on the scans."  
"Yea, I know," she placed the first earpiece on a machine with scanners all around.  
"Tell me what you find out, ok?" she said moving toward the portal.  
"The tape is on the table, by the way," said Tom, putting on a pair of goggles that came down from the ceiling.  
"Thanks, I'll be going now," she said.  
He motioned goodbye with his hand and started up the machine. She crossed over and the portal started closing.  
*Poor darling,* Tom thought. *She's been searching for an answer so long she's forgotten the question.*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ok, I'm done," she said, stepping out of the portal.  
"'Bout time," said Logan. "Where are ya headed now?"  
"The Institute. I need to keep watch."  
"And you're not gonna take care of yerself first?"  
"No time. Don't worry, I can handle it."  
"Right, the same way you handled yerself...."  
"Don't say it! I don't need another lecture. I've had a tough enough day as it is."  
Logan looked at her and opened his mouth. He was going to say something else but it didn't seem as important anymore. Reluctantly, he closed his mouth once again.  
*Chuck was right,* he thought. *She does need a lot of support right now.*  
"Chuck wanted ta talk ta ya," he said, picking up his keys.  
"What? Why?" she said, and picked up her mask. She had already changed into her uniform and was now closing the buckles on her cape.  
"Scott talked to him today. They think ye're a mutant. Well, not ya, Jade."  
"Christ! That's great! Just what I needed..."  
"He told me that it's up to ya when ye're gonna meet."  
"Ok, that might be a good thing then. Maybe I can buy some time. Tell him that you talked to me but I couldn't stay long because of..."  
"...the university..."  
"Right and that you'll be able to meet me on Saturday. No, no, Sunday. I have something else to do on Saturday."  
"Ok, I can say that I'm gonna try ta gain yer trust first..."  
"...and that you need to check if I'm really a mutant before saying anything, so..."  
"..it'll all be safer. I think that's good, let's go," he said walking to the door. "Ye're covered."  
"For now," she said, closing the door.  
She was about to lock it but stopped halfway and looked around her. Her eyes searched for an invisible foe, they glowed bright orange as she kept on looking; she saw traces of silver energy everywhere but no source.  
"What? What did ya see?" asked Logan.  
"I don't know, something. Whatever it was, it's gone now," she answered, still looking around. "I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched."  
"Maybe ya are."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I don't know, I smelled something. A stink of some sort."  
"I know what you're thinking and it's not Sabertooth. I left him in Alaska last week, before I even came here. I'm the only one that could've traveled that fast, and....ahhh...!! Uh....!" she grunted and groaned in pain.  
In her ear, Tom screamed, also in pain. Faye gripped the sides of her head and crawled up. Her muscles were very tense. She wanted it all to go away, she wanted some peace, but there was always something.  
Logan caught her shoulders and struggled to bring her up, but she was already slipping into an unconscious state. He opened the door and saw that Tom had already opened another portal; quickly, he picked Faye up and ran inside the house, while outside, a monstrous figure watched the scene with cold eyes and a wicked obsession.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Logan stopped in front of the portal and hesitated for a moment. He looked at the moving particles and changing colors and swallowed hard--he really hated crossing, there was always this sinking feeling at the bottom of your stomach that he could never get used to. However, one look at Faye's limp body was enough to make up his mind. He held her face close to his chest and stepped through.  
Traveling to another dimension was one of the worst feelings he could ever experience. No words could explain it; it was as if all reality got distorted and at the same time everything passed by like a rollercoaster. As Logan stepped inside the metal room, he tried shaking the sick feeling he always got from Zhar's realm.  
"Tom!" he called out to the tank.  
Tom lifted his head dizzily, things were short-circuiting and exploding everywhere, and the scan disks were spinning like crazy.  
"Put her on the table," Tom managed to say, gasping for breath.  
Logan complied and then walked to the scans. He extracted his claws and pierced through the scans; he took the earpiece Tom was examining, and looked at it. Tom closed his eyes and concentrated. The jewel on his band glowed as he accessed Faye's powers. In no time, her white jewel started glowing, as well as her body. Tom used all his strength into wielding her healing powers. Absentmindedly, Logan let go of the earpiece and walked toward the table. He didn't see it get stuck to one of the walls.  
Faye moved her head from side to side as she started waking up; she managed to draw herself up and looked around wobbly, her eyes rested on Tom, who was now nearly unconscious.  
"Logan...," she whispered.  
Logan moved in closer to her , and,with his help, she pushed herself up. She walked toward Tom's tank and placed her left hand on one of the tubes, running up to the ceiling. She made her healing powers run through it and reach Tom. When she was done, she collapsed on Logan's arms.  
"Thanks, love," said Tom placing his hand on the glass.  
Faye smiled weakly and did the same. Logan held onto her, he wasn't feeling jealous, after all Tom and Faye had been together since the beginning. She placed her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulders. Tom, still with his hand on the glass, kept on looking at Faye, he was breathing normally now.  
"What happened?" Logan asked.  
"Can't say," answered Tom.  
"Ya've been goin' 'round with Faye for too long."  
"Perhaps."  
"So, what do I tell Rat?"  
"Tell him what happened."  
"He'll want ta know more."  
"He'll contact me if he needs to know anything else. I suggest you get out of here, Logan. It isn't safe. Besides, we all need some rest."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After gently placing Faye on the bed, Logan locked up and left. He got into his bike and pulled his helmet on, but not before discreetly sniffing the air around him and picking up someone's scent. He revved the machine and drove away.  
The streets were empty, Logan's bike glistered in the streetlights. Logan stopped at a red light and checked his rearview mirror. There was no one behind him, but he still could smell someone close by, and he wasn't alone. He knew he was being followed, but he didn't really know who they were not where they were; their scents were either hidden or too distant to be distinguished.  
The light turned green and Logan started moving. He checked his mirror again, this time he saw a shadow quickly move out of his view; he gripped the handle of his bike and sped up. He was racing down the street at nearly seventy miles an hour, when suddenly he made a sharp left turn into a narrow street, hit his brakes and spun his motorcycle. Logan jumped out of it , threw his helmet off and popped out his claws. He had moved too fast for whoever was following him. He waited for him to catch up, listening to nothing but his own heart beating. Anticipation started building up, so much that Logan could hardly contain it. He could smell him coming nearer.  
*One person can move as fast as ya, Faye dear,* he thought. *Maybe even faster.*  
"All right, hairy, show yerself. I know ye're there," he shouted.  
Sabertooth jumped from an alley and attacked Logan. Logan maintained his ground, but he picked him up and threw him into a nearby wall.   
"Remarkable, Logan. I came all this way to see someone and instead I find you," said Sabertooth, pushing Logan against the wall.  
"Yeah, well, maybe she don't wanna see ya, Creed," Logan grunted.  
"And how would ya know that? Maybe ye're pushing yer thoughts on her again, Logan."  
"She's smarter than ya think, ugly."  
Sabertooth growled and Logan kicked him in the stomach. Sabertooth grunted, Logan, aiming for his shoulder blade, attacked with his claws extended. He dodged to the right and Logan barely scratched his arm. Logan attacked again, this time perforating Sabertooth's thigh. He howled in pain and hit Logan in the chest; Logan slammed into a lamppost and fell to the ground.  
Logan recovered, Sabertooth prepared himself for another attack. Suddenly, a noise came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It sounded like metal creaking under a lot of stress. Logan looked around him, the buildings weren't moving but they seemed to mock him.   
"He's mine!" Sabertooth growled. "Stay away! STAY AWAY!!!"  
Logan backed up into a building looking for the source of the noise, but couldn't find anything. The noise kept getting louder and louder. Suddenly, the wall behind him came tumbling down. 


	5. Enter Magneto

Back in the apartment, Faye woke up with a start; almost suddenly, an ominous feeling settled on her. She looked at the time and noticed that she was nearly fifteen minutes late for her meeting with Rat. She paced around the small studio but still couldn't shake off that feeling. Since Rat would know that she wasn't coming anymore, she decided to pick up a walkman and listen to the recording of Rat's phone call.  
Again, as if an unseen force was driving her, she closed her eyes and listened carefully.  
"Faye...?" tried Tom in the communicator.  
"Shh...," she muttered quickly.  
She rewound the tape and listened again.  
"Faye, I know what happened to the communicator," said Tom.  
"Hush!" she muttered again.  
She rewound the tape on more time and listened; this time she cranked up the volume on max. She didn't move a muscle or blink, she didn't even breathe; she just listened...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At the same time, Jeff was moving the rubble away from Logan. Logan grunted and groaned as the pieces of rock relieved his sore muscles. Finally, he stood up straight and looked at his helper.  
"Thanks," he grunted, cracking his neck.  
"Don't mention it," Jeff answer, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt onto his head and hiding his face.  
He was dressed in average attire, faded black jeans, a Kiss t-shirt, a long-sleeve, hooded, open sweatshirt over it. He wanted to cover his head and his arms.  
"How did ya find me?" asked Logan.  
"I have my ways. Are you hurt?"  
"Nothin' I wouldn't survive."  
"I'm sure. However, you need to be in top physical condition. Go back to Faye's house and ask her to use her powers on you."  
"She's hurt ya know."  
"I know, but I also know that she's tough. She's probably awake by now. Logan, she's in more danger than she thinks, please stay with her tonight."  
"Whacha mean by that?"  
"It's hard to explain. Take care of her for me. Promise?"  
"She means a lot to ya, don't she?"  
"Yeah. She doesn't want to admit it but she's very fragile, just take good care of her. It's very hard for me to ask you this, you know..."  
Logan nodded. "I promise," he said.  
Jeff nodded, looked around him nervously and left. Logan looked after him for a while, walked to his tumbled bike and picked it up. He, then, looked for his helmet and remembered the attack from Sabertooth. As he put his helmet on, he snarled in anger. He turned his bike around and raced back to Faye's apartment.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Faye was still sitting in the sofa when Tom tried contacting her again. He really needed to talk to her but he didn't want to interrupt anything. Whatever she was doing, she was onto something. He'd never seen her this concentrated.  
The communicator made a noise and Faye opened one eye. She knew he had some startling news, but she was trying hard to remember something that Jeff had told her. She had remembered that Logan said it too, long ago when she was first training with him. It was something about blocking out everything around her.  
*What is it?!?* she thought desperately.  
She was about to give up when she heard a noise outside. It was very faint and very distant. She tried to recognize the sound.  
*Sounds like an engine,* she thought *A car but that's not it. No, this thing is smaller. A bike!!*  
"That's it!" she cried, suddenly.  
"What's it?" asked Tom.  
"Remember when Jeff was telling me about his powers? Logan had taught me that a good ninja can tell what's around him just by listening to the wind. Jeff told me something similar to that when I first approached him."  
"Or rather, when _he_ approached _you_."  
"Whatever. Listen, I've been listening to this tape for a long time now, and I knew something about it isn't right. Something on the back of my mind told me there was something more to the message. I tried remembering what it was that Jeff called it but I couldn't, up until now."  
"Which is...?"  
"'Silent sounds.'"  
"Pardon me?"  
"Yeah. I recall we were talking about how he could help me. I couldn't understand at the time what use I had for a blind person that had never found before. So he demonstrated."  
"I remember that. He just stood still for two seconds and told you everything that was around him without using his powers."  
"Exactly. 'Silent sounds.' There's something on the tape we're missing. Maybe something on the background that we're overlooking. Just because we can't clearly hear it, doesn't mean it's not there."  
"I'll scan it."  
"No, I wanna find the noise, you can find a match for it."  
"Fine, but..."  
"Shh...I heard something," she whispered. and reached for her scythe.  
She released the pole and the arrowhead, with its many hooks, but not the blade; it wouldn't help her any if she didn't have any space to swing. Faye hid in the darkness and waited with her weapon ready to make damage.  
Outside, she could hear footsteps and the door's latch click. The door opened slowly as she charged toward the intruder. The narrow point of the arrow easily connected with the trespasser's stomach, Faye switched the light on to find Logan staring back at her in disbelief. He mouth swung open as she tried to think of what to do next, the only thing she could do was catch Logan as his knees gave in.  
She hoisted him up and tried to think of the fastest way to get her healing powers on him. On an impulse, she kissed him , and, through her mouth, nearly all her healing energy transferred to him. His wounds started closing faster than with his own powers. He could now stand on his own two feet, so he took advantage of the situation and wrapped his arms around her.  
"Ahem...," Tom said on the communicator. "Are we alright now?"  
"Yeah," Logan said caressing Faye's hair, who was now hugging him.  
"Faye?" said Tom.  
"I'm okay," she answered, breaking from the embrace. "I thought I killed you."  
"You could've. It would've taken me at least two days to heal from somethin' this deep. Thanks, I feel better than ever."  
She chuckled. "What are you doing back here?" she said looking at him.  
"I met with an old friend..."  
"Sabertooth."  
"I'm thinkin' he ain't alone. Rat's worried 'bout ya. And frankly, so am I."  
"I'm fine. Sabertooth won't try to find me, he's not that crazy. So, you've seen Rat, we've never met yet."  
"Can you tell me what's goin' on?"  
"I wish I knew, but I'm about to find out. Come with me."  
She crossed the portal, with Logan right behind her, and walked toward one of the many machines in the room.  
"Tom, play back the recording from Rat's call," Faye said.  
Immediately, Rat's desperate voice filled the room.  
"Now, isolate any high frequency sounds."  
"Whacha lookin' for?"  
"Silent sounds."  
"I 'member that technique."  
"Yeah. Tom, anything?"  
"Nothing, important. Bird sounds mostly."  
"Check the low frequencies."  
"Alright, love."  
Tom ran another check and could isolate three sounds. He played them all together at first and then separately.  
"Wait!" said Logan. "Play that second 'un again."  
"What did you hear?"  
"I recognized somethin'. Just listen."  
It was a low-humming kind of sound.  
"Expand and enhance," commanded Faye.  
Tom complied and it was actually a creaking noise.  
"That!" said Logan.  
"Find match," called Faye.  
"Don't bother. I know what that is," said Logan.  
"What?"  
"I heard the same sound just now, while I was fighting Sabertooth. It was much louder though."  
"Take me there," said Faye.  
"You might not believe this but I do have some rather interesting news," interrupted Tom.  
"Which are...?" asked Faye.  
"I found what happened to the communicator."  
"Oh, really? What?"  
"It was magnetized."  
"How come?" asked Logan.  
"Yeah, the reason why most of my circuits have been going nuts is because a magnet was near them."  
Logan walked up interested, as Faye backed up into one of the walls and looked at the floor bewildered.  
"You can ask Kitty. She probably knows that you should never leave a magnet near a computer unit. It scrambles signals around the computer and the systems eventually fail."  
"Huh! That's new. Faye, ya can't hide anythin' from me now...," Logan broke off and stared at Faye.  
She had now crouched down on the floor and was hyperventilating.  
"Faye, darlin'. What's wrong?" he asked.  
"He's early. Why? What's his purpose? He's throwing me off, I can't believe he's throwing me off," she kept on muttering. "Why's he here?"  
"What's she talkin' 'bout, Tom?"  
"I think it will be best if you go. Go to the Institute, Logan. I'll take care of Faye, she's just thinking now so she will be able to put everything in order."  
"I have to stay. Rat asked me to take care of her."  
"Why? Does he know something he's not telling us?"  
"I don't know what he's tellin' ya. Ya ain't tellin' me shit."  
"I'm sorry. I'll keep her here with me, then. No one can enter these four walls without me knowing it. I'm the only one who knows the coordinates for this location, so rest assured she'll be safe. I'll also keep watch on everything outside. No one will come here, you have my word."  
"Okay. But contact me if anythin' happens."  
"I will."  
He walked towards Faye and knelt down near her.  
"Faye!" he called out, putting his hands on her knees.  
"Logan...?" she said, coming out of her trance. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. You're leaving?"  
"I'm goin' back to the Institute, ok? Please stay here with Tom, just for tonight. It ain't safe for ya out there."  
She nodded, quietly. He didn't have to tell her how dangerous it was for her with _him_ out there; after all, she'd been running for a long time now.  
Logan ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her face closer; slowly, he kissed her. She didn't fight him, she was too tired of doing it, besides she was really sick of making him hate her. She realized she needed his help more than ever.  
He smiled gently, kissed her hand and crossed. Faye looked after him a while and then turned to Tom.  
"I saw that," he joked. "So, what now?"  
"Now we find out how and why Magneto got here so early." 


	6. Seeking Answers

The next day, Faye had gone to school early, she really needed to get to Risty before Rogue came to school. She waited at least forty minutes before she spotted Mystique's energy coming around the corner; quietly, she hit the janitor's closet and waited. The hallway was nearly empty as Risty made her way to her locker. Suddenly, as she passed by a door, someone's hands closed in around her mouth and squeezed. She tried screaming, but that person kept dragging her into the opened door.  
Faye pushed Risty into a wall and carefully closed the door.  
"Who are you?" asked Risty, confused.  
"I'd be quiet if I were you," said Faye, looking at the door. She was looking for any curious student that saw her drag Risty into the closet.  
"Look here, you don't want to push me around."  
"No," said Faye, turning brusquely, with a knife in hand. "Ya don't wanna push _me_ around. I know who ya are, darlin', ya better off droppin' the disguise."  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Don't platy dumb with me, Mystique. Drop the disguise or I'm gonna start knifin'. You pick."  
Risty looked at the girl curiously. She recognized her from the day before.  
"I could tell Rogue and Scott what you're doing, you know?" she said.  
"Yeah? And I could go directly to Xavier and tell him about ya. Or would ya rather have me talk to your son, Kurt? Maybe I could talk to the Brotherhood or, better yet, Magneto might wanna have that little piece of info. Ya have way too many enemies to be makin' demands. I suggest ya cooperate."  
Without moving a muscle, Risty morphed into Mystique. She looked down at the woman in front of her. There was more to her, she could feel it; she saw everything she had planned go to pieces.  
"Who are you?" she asked.  
"That's not important."  
"I'd like to know whom I'm dealing with."  
"No, you'd like to know how to find me so you can kill me later."  
"Perceptive. Why aren't you working for me?"  
"You wouldn't be the first person who tried to kill me, after a while you start picking up vibes. Please sit," she said motioning to a box.  
"No, thanks. I want to get this over with. What do you want?"  
"Ok, I wanna know why Magneto is in town. What does he want? Who is with him?"  
"You know I don't have that kind of information."  
"But you know where to get it. You have forty-eight hours to give me something, otherwise Xavier will know. Then, pretty soon Kurt will know, then finally Rogue, and that's when your plans go down the drain."  
"What do you know about what I have planned?"  
"Not much, and it really doesn't matter to me. I'm only here as a request of a friend. I complete my mission and then I'm off on my merry way. You may never see me again."  
"I'll need some time to think."  
"This isn't a deal! Forty-eight hours! And that's all you've got. Don't waste it," Faye said, putting the knife on her pocket. She turned towards the door, changed her body and left through the bottom of the door.  
Mystique looked at her and shook her head. It was going to be a long week.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Night had fallen, Faye was already sitting at the usual place looking out on the horizon.  
*Mystique's forty-eight hours are going,* she thought. *Not even she can figure out what made Magneto come so fast. Unbe-fucking-livable.*  
She sensed someone approaching her. Her muscles tensed up a little, and then a smile ran across her lips.  
"You know, I had a feeling it was you who were helping me all this time," she said without looking.  
"I knew you were going to figure out who I was once you saw me," said Jeff.  
He approached her carefully and sat down next to her.  
"I suppose I owe you an explanation," she started.  
"Not to me. I don't really care much about what you have to do or whatever, but I do think someone will. He'll be here in a second. Meanwhile, I ought to tell you what I blew my cover for."  
"Hmmm... You'd think that as the Oracle of the Realms, I would be able to know that already. There's so much I don't know sometimes I even doubt that I was supposed to be an oracle. You'd probably make a much better oracle than I would."  
"Funny how life turns out, huh? Anyway, I have a messge for you. Some girl wanted me to tell you that Magneto is planning an attack on the Institute, no one knows when, so be prepared."  
"So, she came through with it, after all. Anything else?"  
"Nope. I wouldn't risk myself with that much information, you know that. This isn't gonna be good for me, but I'm just a messenger," he said leaning back and looking at the starry sky. "Our visitor is here."  
Faye leaned back as well and smiled. It was the first time that things seemed calm, she liked that. Logan groaned as he pulled himself onto the ledge. He sat next to Faye and sighed.  
"I guess this is it. I'm gonna tell you guys everything."  
"Only if you really wanna," said Logan.  
"It doesn't matter if I want to or not. It only matters that I'm finally going to be able to sleep peacefully. I carry too much baggage, it's not healthy."  
"All right, then. You should let us carry some of it for you now," said Jeff.  
"Ok, here goes nothing. A while ago, I don't really remember when, I was going through the South after a little accident I had down in Mexico."  
"I remember hearing about that," Logan said. "It was that accident with the tour bus, right?"  
"Yeah, twenty-eight tourists ended up 'missing' and two others are now locked up in an asylum."  
"Daniel?" asked Jeff.  
"Bingo," she answered. "Anyway, I wanted to get away for a while, trying to forget the whole thing, so I ended up in Mississippi. This was all after I found you and helped you in Canada. I kept a low profile for a while and tried leading a normal life, but Sabertooth found me and tried to make my life hell, like usual."  
Logan growled and Faye chuckled.  
"I didn't wanna stick with him this time, but he couldn't understand that. I tried running away from him, however, that only made him chase me. I was going down a street when someone pulled me into a store. It startled me, but it kept me hidden from Sabertooth, so I didn't care much. He gave up after a while, I don't know why, he could've easily found me with his powers.  
"Anyhow, the lady who helped me turned out to be a mutant seer by the name of Destiny. She lived alone and missed her daughter very much, so I stayed with her. After a while, I found out that her daughter was actually Rogue. I kept asking her about her life, but she would just change the subject; she acted as if she was scared of something or someone, that's the impression I got, at least."  
"She could be, or maybe she was too involved or something," said Jeff, carefully.  
"I don't know, she could be. Okay, so, one day," she continued, "she woke me up, desperately. She had one of her visions again. I had sensed a shift in energy earlier, you know that usually happens when someone different is close by. I think that's about the time she had a vision."  
*Oh, you couldn't be more wrong,* thought Jeff.  
"After she had calmed down, she told me all about it. Sometime in the future, she knew it was the immediate future but not how far into it, Rogue was going to be in trouble. I asked her what kind of trounbe but she wasn't sure. She knew that Rogue might have been in trouble and she was very apprehensive. I asked her to calm down, but she was frantic, so I helped her write a letter to Rogue and said I was going to deliver it. She asked me to keep a watch on Rogue and make sure she was all right.  
"That's when I left Mississippi and headed North. Tom helped me find you and the others, but it was Rat, well...you, who helped me the most. Now Magneto's here and he's ready to attack."  
"And, whacha gonna do?" asked Logan.  
"The only thing I can do: attack back. I gotta make sure Rogue's fine. That's what I promised Irene I would do."  
"Ye're really gonna go 'gainst Magneto?"  
"Yeah, there's nothing else I can do. I know he's very powerful , and, with a metal skeleton and a computer chip in my head and in my arm keeping that lunatic Daniel in check, I'm not the best weapon against him, but I have to do it, or at least try it."  
"You mean die trying, right?" said Jeff.  
"I agree," said Logan.  
"Well, whatever it takes. If I have to die making sure that Rogue's ok, then so be it. Magneto might be after Scott too, you know."  
"How do ya know?" asked Logan.  
"A little bird told me," she said, winking to Jeff, who smiled.  
"Listen, darlin', I'll be here. Ya won't have to worry, ok?"  
"I hate to break it to you, but you've got a metal skeleton too," said Jeff.  
"Well, Chuck will be there."  
"I'm afraid Magneto isn't going to be alone," informed Tom.  
"What do you mean?" asked Jeff, nervously.  
"I just listened to a telephone call Xavier received. There was a break-in on the facility Juggernaut was being kept, he's escaped. The found twisted pieces of metal and bent metal bars everywhere."  
"Damn," said Faye. "I gotta go."  
"Where?" both Logan and Jeff asked.  
"To get prepared. Don't let Xavier go anywhere. He'll be needed here."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"We've got another note?" asked Lance.  
"Yeah, it came in this morning, but Fred didn't brink in the mail up until now," said Tabitha.  
"Hey, it wasn't my fault. We never get any mail, I'm just not used to checking it," contested Fred.  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, what does it say this time, yo?" asked Todd.  
"I'll read it," said Pietro, snatching the paper from Tabitha's hand and dodging a couple of her firecrackers. "You guys are way too slow. It says: The time is here. You will wait for me outside Xavier's Institute for the Gifted tomorrow, I will give you full instructions and the rest of the money there.' That's it."  
"All right! We'll finally get a chance to beat those X-dorks!" said Todd, jumping up and down.  
"I don't believe it, any of it. It's a trap, it has to be," protested Tabitha. "I'm not going."  
"Oh, really? Maybe you're soft because we're gonna be attacking the Institute and you used to be an X-men there," provoked Lance.  
"How about I show you who's soft right now?" challenged Tabitha, ready to blast him into next Tuesday.  
"Forget it!" said Pietro. "We don't need your help. We'll do this ourselves, and you're not getting any share to the money."  
"Whatever, I don't want it anyway," said Tabitha, leaving the room.  
"Don't you guys think she has a point?" asked Fred.  
"Well, it is kind of strange, but who cares, right? I say we go for it, what have we got to lose?" asked Todd.  
"Besides our lives?" said Lance.  
"I wish you guys wouldn't joke about stuff like that," said Fred.  
"You weaklings, we can do this," said Pietro. "Now, shut up and let's get ready. We've got a lot to do tomorrow." 


	7. Menace

Hurriedly, Faye opened the door of her home.  
"What are we going to do?" asked Tom. "Run away?"  
"I never run," she said, gathering her belongings, put them into a bag, and put her mask back on.  
"Oh, right. Only after Daniel had done real damage."  
"Shut up," she muttered, busily searching for any scrape of money and shoving it into a little zipped pocket in her belt. "I don't understand what's...," she cut off, gasping for air.  
"Faye?" asked Tom.  
But she didn't answer, she was trying to fight off two gigantic hands that were cutting off her air circulation.  
In his tank, Tom frowned, wondering what was going on outside. He could hear stuff through the communicator but didn't know what was happening. In seconds, Tom tapped into a passing satellite and zoomed in on Faye's apartment, just in time to see her get thrown out of the apartment into the parking lot, followed by Sabertooth.  
"Sabertooth?!?" exclaimed Tom. "I'm calling Logan."  
"No!" came the answer right away. "I can handle him."  
"Faye, I..."  
"Trust me."  
Tom sighed. She was so darn stubborn, but she knew what she was doing, most of the time. And, when it came to Sabertooth, she knew how to handle him.  
"Now, Victor, I understand you're mad..."  
"More like psychotic," remarked Tom.  
"Tom, you're not helping."  
"I see Tom is still with ya. Hi, Thomas," said Sabertooth, striking Faye down.  
She fell to her side. She raised her head and quickly kicked the back of his knees. He lost his balance and fell on his back. She jumped up, reached for her scythe and released the arrowhead. She put it up to his chest and pressed on.  
"Ok, Creed, listen to me. Whatever it is that ye're mad at me for ye're better ferget it. I ain't got time to take any 'o ya rantin's, gottit?"  
He growled and reached for Faye's hand. She pressed on harder to the point that her weapon made a small dent on his coat. He chuckled evilly, stopped and looked at her fiercely. He screamed, pressing his body into the arrowhead. It ripped through his skin like butter; startled, Faye backed up.  
"Oh, my God!" she cried as he reached for her arm. "You're crazy!"   
"And you're mine!" he grunted, pulling the arrow with one hand and gripping Faye's arm with the other.  
She tucked and pulled but he kept on holoding. He pulled her close to him, picked her up, bringing her face close to his. She could feel his warm breath on her skin and his claws digging into her arms. She looked into his crazed eyes and felt nothing but desperation. She was going to die tonight, there was no doubt about it.   
She tried to think of a way out, but everything seemed either impossible or improbable. Her scythe was too far away for her to summon. She couldn't take Sabertooth's energy because Daniel would go crazy with it. Gathering some of her own and unleashing a blast on him wouldn't work, she needed time and concentration for that, and she had neither. Neither reasoning nor brute forced worked when it came to Sabertooth. Suddenly, she had an idea.  
She started moving her left arm, just enough to reach his face, and touched him. Slowly, she ran her fingers through his hair and down his neck, caressing him tenderly. He growled, which sounded more like a purr, and pulled her even closer to him. Brusquely, Faye moved her right arm and stuck it into the open wound on his chest, which was scabbing but not totally healed. Sabertooth howled and screamed in pain, and, angrily, he threw her inside a dumpster, full of wooden boxes, glass bottles, windows and pipes left over from a nearby construction site. Everything gave into her weight and shattered. The loud crash resonated through the empty streets.  
In the apartment complex, a couple of windows lit up, as curious eyes spied on the enormous figure outside. They saw the gigantic man walking toward the large dumpster. He climbed into it and pulled out the limp body of a woman.  
"Now see what ya made me do, my love?" he said as he carried Faye away from the dumpster. "Ya've made me hurt ya, and that ain't what I came here for."  
Sabertooth calmly placed her down and brushed her hair off her face. More lights came on around him. Suddenly, he stood up; he could hear Logan's engine coming closer. Around the corner, Logan appeared with his bike. He jumped off and both men started running toward each other; Logan with his claws extended, Sabertooth with his claws ready to rip Logan apart.  
The peopel who lived around there knew that that neighborhood was tough, so they started going back into their homes and turning off their lights, pretending nothing was happening. The two of them were ready to attack each other where a shot was heard.  
"I don't know what yo're doin' 'ere," said the landlord in a thick New Yorkian accent, holding a shotgun. "But we don't like yor kind goin' 'round, messin' up our stuff, yo see? Now, why don't yo and yor freaky friend get outta 'ere 'fore I calls the cops? Or better yet, I could call my cousin Paulie. Yo pick."  
Sabertooth snarled and started moving toward him, who let him have it right in the stomach. Wounded and defeated, not to mention humiliated, Sabertooth left. Logan motioned as if he was going after him, but stopped; the landlord still had his shotgun pointed at him, and he had re-loaded. He started to move toward where Faye was laying.  
"Don't yo even think 'bout it," he said.  
"Or what, bub?" Logan grunted, but stopped. "Tom," he called out. "Wake her up."  
Tom accessed Faye's mian system and shot a dose of adrenaline through her bloodstream. She started having convulsions and twisting her body, as the adrenaline kept pumping. Her heart beat so fast, it seemed like it would explode. She stood upp wobbly and tried keeping her balance. She was in bad shape, there was a wooden stake going through her stomach, a piece of glass stuck on her arm and another on her thigh. Since her heart was beating too fast, blood kept gushing out of the wounds. She pulled the wood out of her stomack and cried in pain. Warm, salty tears ran down her face; she pulled the two pieces of glass out as well. More blood gushed out staining her cape and clothes.   
*She ain't gonna be able to take much more of this,* thought Logan.  
"What the hell...?" asked the landlord, confused at such an ungodly sight.  
He raised his double barrel shotgun and aimed, just as Faye started trying to walk.  
"NO!" screamed Logan, knowing what the landlord was about to do. Logan started running toward him, when he pressed the trigger.  
The first shot echoed with the silence of the night, hitting her right on her leg. The landlord cocked the gun and fired another shot; this time missing her face by milimeters. He cocked the gun one more time , and, as Logan reached him, he fired the third shot which hit Faye on the shoulder. Faye fell backwards. Logan cried out, kneeling down, as the landlord let go of his shotgund and ran back into his home. People were coming back to their windows to see what was happening.  
"Tom," Logan called out. "Is she dead?"  
"Nearly..." Tom trailed off. Faye's body started melting in with the pavement. When she was gone, people came out of their homes. Incredulous faces all around, they wondered what it was that they had just witnessed.  
Everything was silent for a moment. Slowly, but steadily, Faye's scythe started moving. Dumbfounded, Logan looked at it, he followed its path with his eyes. As suddenly as it had started moving, it stopped. Out of its place, started coming out a shape of some sort, as if the ground had began boiling. In no time, it changed into Faye's body. She was looking down and her hood covered her head.  
Logan smiled for seeing her, but his smile faded away as soon as she released her scythe and arrowhead.  
"Daniel," he whispered, and looked around wildly at the numerous people that were watching the scene. "Inside!" he scremed. "NOW!!!"  
He grabbed the fallen shotgun and fired shots up in the air. He then turned to the people and threatened to shoot them. They ran inside in fear. Logan turned around to face Daniel, who was not standing next to him, without the mask. He started at Faye's eyes, which were now bewildered and wicked, full of Daniel's madness.  
"Get outta her," Logan growled.  
"Make me. Face it, Logan, she needs me," said Daniel with a triumphant smile. "She can't survive without me."  
He carefully replaced the back and left, travelling through the ground as fast as the wind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The kids woke up with the Professor's thoughts in their heads.  
"Please, all students assemble in the library."  
"Wha's goin' on?" asked Rogue, sleepily.  
"I don't know but we better, like, hurry," answered Kitty.  
In a matter of minutes all the students were in the library. They were asking each other what was going on.  
Professor Xavier entered the room, followed by Ororo, Hank and Logan.  
"I'm sure you're concerned about things and I will explain everything shortly," began Professor X.  
The students began scurrying and getting settled. They all paid close attention to him.  
"I'm sure none of you have seen the headlines of today's news," said Hank, showing them the front page of three major newspapers. Scott, Rogue and Sam took a newspaper each. The others scattered behind them to read what it said.  
"Three found dead, another five reported missing," it said. "The victims were found disemboweled as a result of an apparent massacre. The police don't have a lead as of yet, but any of the missing five could have been the killer."  
Bobby whistled, the others started each having a different reaction, but some were just stupefied.  
"Do they know what happened to the other five?" asked Rahne.  
"Not yet, Rahne," Professor X. answered.  
"I think _The New York Times_ has a list of the missing people," remarked Ororo.  
They rapidly looked at Sam, who blushed. Jubilee snatched the paper from his hand and read aloud.  
"'The five missing people are as follows (in no particular order):  
"Miles Johnson, Rita Anderson, Fran Charles, Zack Hinder, and Jade Fey...,'" she broke off. They all looked at each other.  
Kitty made a small whimpering noise as tears streamed down her face, Rogue hid hers in her hands, Scott placed his head between his knees, held his neck and sighed, Jean put her hands on his shoulders. The others were just as bewildered. Logan couldn't take seeing them like this, so he left the room.  
"If any of you feel the need to stay home from school, we'll understand," said Hank.  
"We will be available to anyone that wishes to speak about anything," said Ororo. "This does not mean she is dead. It is best to keep hope alive."  
"Also, this killer could still be on the loose, so I think it would be wise if everyone is inside before dark," announced Professor X.  
They all agreed; some left the room, others stayed and conforted each other.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Logan entered his room, he couldn't bear the thought of those kids hurting because of something Faye had done. he wanted to go back downstairs ad tell them everything. Instead, he opened the communicator and contacted Tom.  
"Have you found her yet?" he asked.  
"No," answered Tom. "Daniel has a way of scrambling my signals."  
"His telepathy."  
"I'm sure of it."  
"Who contacted the newspapers?"  
"He did. It's all a sick joke to him, he likes to see people suffer?"  
"Especially Faye. Did ya know anythin' 'bout this?"  
"No, but I suspected. One day, Daniel contacted me saying that he wanted to talk. I said fine and we started a conversation."  
"'Bout what?"  
"Normal things, the weather...and well, anyway, suddenly, he asked me what I thought of what Faye was doing. I found it strange but he was actually being nice, so I told him that it was her business and all I could do was help and support her in any way possible."  
"He was quiet for a long time. After a while, he said that he didn't like it one bit. He thought she was sticking her nose into things that didn't concern her. To him, this was all a trap."  
"How so?"  
"That's exactly what I asked him and he said that he had a feeling it was all planned. According to him, Destiny was talking to someone the day of her supposed vision. He hadn't sensed someone in the house, but he couldn't sense Destiny's energy either."  
"How come Faye didn't sense the same thing?"  
"He said was sleeping when Destiny left. I think this is his way of getting Faye out of Magneto's attack."  
"I don't know..."  
"He said he always had been smarter than Faye, even as kids. But without Faye, I don't think Magneto will spare the kids."  
"I'm sure Faye has already regained control."  
"I don't know. Look at the headlines, the bodies were cut up, not drained. He isn't taking in any energy, just rampaging like a madman, which is what he does mostly. With the accident in Mexico, he drained most of the victims, the others were killed slowly. The two that are locked up were tortured."  
"Good God."  
"Exactly, it took months for Faye to recover from the shock and the memories."  
"I'm gonna find her."  
"No wait! I just picked up her signal."  
"Where?"  
"I'm trying to pinpoint her...Bloddy hell!!! I lost her. She's still in Bayville, though.  
"I'm gonna look either way."  
"It's no use, she's on the move. By three o'clock this afternoon she could be anywhere in a 50,000 kilometers radius."  
"Right," Logan grunted. He'd never felt so helpless.  
He needed ot get out. He grabbed his jacket and headed out to Akira's. 


	8. Dead? Impossible!

The day passed fast and Logan hadn't heard any news on Daniels or Faye. Earlier in the day, the news came on with a special bulletin about the massacre case. The students turned up the television to see if they said anything about Jade.  
"I'm stading where the police found the bodies of four of the five missing people. Witness who found the bodies identified them as eighteen-year-old Zack Hinder, forty-two-year-old Fran Charles, sixty-year-old Miles Johnson and seventeen-year-old Jade Fey..."  
"What?!?" Logan cried out.  
The students looked at him wierdly, but soon turned back to the television.  
"All victims suffered mild cuts and beatings but died aparently, of anemia, among other petty diseases. The whereabouts of twenty-four-year-old Rita Anderson are still puzzling authorities, however an investigation is already under way to see if family and friends have any reasons to suspect her. Her mother answered that she was a happy person, with lots of friend, very intelligent, very hard-working; her friends also reported that it would have been impossible for her to commit any of those crimes. In a statement released this morning, the Bayville Police Department said that she has not had any history of manic depression, paranoia, or any other mental disabilities. Back to you, George."  
"Thank you, Terry," said the anchor. "We will continue to bring you any updates as they come...oh, this is just in, authorities have reported that Rita Anderson, the suspect of all the murders, was found. She was taken into custody ten minutes ago. Her condition was deplorable; she was badly beaten, as if she was tortured. She was very hurt and weak. Police is now questioning her as to what really happened. This network is trying to get a news crew at the station, so stay tuned for continuous new updates."  
Scott turned off the television and turned to talk to the Professor.  
"Where's Logan?" he asked, looking around the room.  
"I don't know, he was just here a minute ago," said Hank.  
Logan raced up the stairs and into his room. He got his communicator and turned it on. All he found was a dead link. He muttered some curse words in anger, threw the communicator across the room, and started thrashing it.  
"Logan, please, come downstairs for a moment," asked Xavier, telepathically.  
Logan panted in a mix of anger and exhasperation, he growled deeply and marched downstairs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Rita Anderson walked out of the police department, she was still very weak, the doctors had told her to stay in the hospital, but she refused. The police had made the most exhausting interrogatory ever. But she had gotten through it , and, with luck, they would try to look somewhere else for the culprit.  
Rita shielded the sunlight from her eyes and called a cab.  
"Xavier's Institute for the Gifted, please," she told the cab driver.  
The ride to the Institute was a pleasant one. The afternoon air was cool but not too cold. About a mile and a half away from the Institute's gates, she asked the driver to stop.  
"I'll walk the rest of the way," she said, with her ever-enigmatic smile.  
She paid the driver and started walking; halfway through, a portal opened up and she walked right through.  
"About time you got here," said Tom.  
"Sorry," she answered, taking the mask off. "The police kept me longer than I thought."  
"So, Daniel, do you mind letting Faye take over now?"  
"Uhh.... not yet," he answered, changing into Faye's uniform.  
"Please, Daniel," Faye pleaded through a couple of strategically placed speakers. "Please, I need the body now. You got what you wanted, now let me do what I need."  
"Oh, you mean saving Rogue and Scott? Really, Genie, why did you have to get so attached to those wretched kids?"  
"They're important..."  
"To whom? Xavier? Logan? You??? You can't possibly be serious."  
"Daniel, you got what you wanted!!! You terrorized the entire city; you killed all those people! I need the body. NOW!!!"  
"Fine, but you do know that this is a trap, right?"  
"I don't care."  
"Oh? It'll be fun working for Magneto for a while," said Daniel , and, with that, he allowed Faye to have full control of the body.  
Faye came back violently. She found that Daniel had wasted most of the energy he stole, and fell to her knees, the images of each murder flooded her mind; she tried shutting them down but couldn't. Slowly, she gathered enough strength to bring herself up. The first thing that she reached for was her mask, which she found on top of the table, and hurriedly put it on. With this newfound shield, Faye looked at Tom.  
"Don't say anything," she said, unbuttoning her shirt.  
"I wasn't going to," he answered, looking at her.  
She turned around and started putting on her uniform. It was all stained with patched of dried blood and ripped due to her fight with Sabertooth. She braided her long hair and buckled up her cape.  
"How long has it been?" she asked.  
"Three days."  
"And Magneto?"  
"Nothing, yet."  
"Ok, open a portal somewhere with lots of vegetation and small animals."  
"How much energy do you need?"  
"A lot."  
"Is it not easier to do the same Daniel does?"  
"I'm not killing again."  
"Fine," he said opening a portal to the Amazon Forest.  
"I'll be back in a while," she said, took a communicator, in case of emergencies, and left.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ya called?" asked Logan as he entered Professor Xavier's private study.  
"Yes, please have a seat," he said.  
Logan looked around and noticed that the good professor was alone.  
*Better this way,* he thought.  
~*I thought you would've approved of a private session,*~ Xavier answered.  
Logan winced. "Ya knew."  
"Yes."  
"How long?"  
"Oh, for a while now. Around the time you threw her out of here. How is she doing, by the way?"  
"Gone, I hope."  
"Oh, now, you can't possibly mean that. I know she means a lot to you."  
"Yeah, unfortunately. I haven't had any news of her in three days."  
"About the time the five went missing."  
"Right. How much did ya find out?"  
"Bits and pieces. I wanted to find out more, but she probably discovered that I was probing your mind as well as trying to enter hers, and saw in you a way out."  
"Hmmm...."  
"She acted on insticnt, though. I found that rather strange."  
"No, she's got no instincts. Everything she does is for a reason. Daniel probably made 'er do it."  
"Only you can help me understand the things I saw. Will you help me fill in the missing pieces?"  
"Tell me what ya know?"  
"Well, it was hard entering your mind. However, once she insulted you and you started fighting, you dropped your defenses," said Xavier, wheeling his chair near Logan. He placed his hands on Logan's head. "Relax."  
Logan closed his eyes and they concentrated. Images started popping up oh his mind, some where still pictures, while others were memories that played like a video.  
He saw the day he and Sabertooth found her in the woods near Madagascar, she wasn't a day older than seven but it still took them a long time to capture her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I don't really 'member how I got the assignment," started Logan. "But I 'member Sabertooth being very excited about it. I saw her lookin' at me from between the leaves of a bush. I growled and charged up to her but she was already gone. Nick Fury told me to catch her scent and we followed it to a waterfall. I 'member how odd her small but well-built body looked 'gainst that gigantic view. We looked at her curiously, as she looked down. I don't know what Fury thought at that moment, but I was wondering why was that kid so important to 'im and to S.H.I.E.L.D., and why were three grown men sent in jus' to get 'er. Her eyes narrowed as she turned 'round and looked at us. She crouched down and stared. It was such a cold, dead stare.  
"'Enough,' Sabertooth had said, as he charged towards her.  
"She hit her right hand on the ground and her body fell backwards. She did a backflip in mid-air and locked her arms and legs tight against her body.  
"*Wow!* I had thought at the time. 'She is very well trained,' Fury said.  
"I went to the edge of the waterfall and looked down. Her head popped out of the water, but she was caught in a current and was now fightin' the river.  
"'Well, not enough, I guess,' I remarked.  
"'Come on, we can get her as she's comin' outta the river,' Creed said. 'She's gonna pay for makin' me look like a fool.'  
"I said, 'Ya are a fool.'   
"'We can't hurt her, those were the orders,' Fury said.  
"And Sabertooth said, 'Or what?'  
"So I said, 'Or I hurt ya, bub.' *SNIKT* 'Problem? Now, let's move.'  
"Sabertooth didn't like it much, but we started moving and made our way down. We saw her sitting on a large rock, trying to catch her breath. I noticed that she was hackin' somethin', which was probably a sign that she'd been in the jungle for too long. I watched her stand up and look around.  
"She looked straight at us and concentrated. She couldn't see us, we hid 'hind a bunch o' trees, but still we crouched down just to make sure. Her small arm started glowin' light blue, and suddenly, she fired a hot of blue energy. The energy came straight at us but hit the base of a huge tree instead, it fell toward her and served as a bridge between her and the bank of the river.  
"She carefully crossed, when she reached safety, she pulled her clothes and bag over her head and twisted them. She stood in her underwear, looking around, and collecting leaves, twigs, and sticks. With them, she made a little mound, drew her hands closer to it and concentrated. This time both of her hands glowed bright red.  
"Saberooth motioned to us that he was goin' to catch her, but I stopped him.  
"'She knows we're here,' I whispered.  
"'No, she don't,' he tried arguing, but Fury said, 'How do ya know that?'  
"I told 'em that I could smell it on her. I said, 'she just a kid, so she don't know how to hide her scent yet.'  
"Creed growled and said, 'let's just gang up on 'er.'  
"Outta nowhere, a wave o' energy hit Sabertooth. Fury and I looked over the bushes and saw her standing there with her hands stretched out in front of her. She panted and gasped for air, as if she had released too much energy, too fast. Suddenly, she fell to her knees and fainted.  
"I looked from Creed, who was out cold, to that small girl that laid abour four feet away from me. I walked towards her and tried to touch her hair, but she lifted her head up, growled and reached for my throat. Even though her hands were very small, she knew the exact point on my neck that would take me down. She had such an incredible force, when she pressed on, that I gagged and fell. The way was free for her to leave, so she started runnin'. Then, Fury took out a gun to threaten 'er but Sabertooth got if from him and fired three shots into her lower back.  
"I got up and screamed at him, 'Are ya crazy?!?' I said. 'We were supposed ta bring'er back _alive_!!!' And he said, 'the bitch had it coming.'  
"I lost my cool and charged up to him, claws out, punchin' and kickin'im on the stomach. My claws pierced right through his flesh.  
"'That's for screwin' up the assignment,' I said and with my other claw I pushed into his side and pulled his guts out. I said, 'and _that's_ for killin' an innocent girl.' Then looked at Fury, who was gettin' up. 'And ya, ya were gonna shoot her too, ain't that right?'  
"Fury smiled and pointed to the girl. I turned 'round, looking at all her belongin's, which were scattered all over the ground. I lifted my eyes to the girl and she moved slightly. Curious, Fury and I watched her pull'erself up, put her left hand, which was glowin' green, on the wounds and groan. She howled in pain as the wounds started to heal. When seh was done, shse turned 'round, she had tears on her eyes, she whispered, 'Tom, help me' and fell.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I understand now," said Xavier. "She doesn't have that memory."  
"Must have lost it while she was at Weapon X."  
"This was the only one I couldn't understand too well. It was too fast and too confused."  
"That was my first encounter with Daniel, but not the most dangerous."  
"There are more. They'll go faster now. I could understand them much better."  
Once again they concentrated and another image appeared on Logan's mind.  
It was a memory of him escaping from S.H.I.E.LD. with her small, fragile body on his arms, and heading off to Japan. Then, a picture of them with Grampa Tokihiro. And that's how the images flowed in his mind. They covered every bit of memory they had ever made together.  
It was all there. They day Sabertooth kidnapped her from the dojo at the age of nine. Her finding him in Canada after years of him searching; she was older then. The day that he decided to cross over to Zhar's realm to be near her, the battles they fought together, the way that they had to leave to escape from Zhar's agents, their first date, the nights they spent talking, how they fought after nearly three years together, watching Yuki die in his arms....  
"Stop!" asked Logan.  
"I know they're very difficult memories. However, they're your memories, not hers."  
"What?"  
"Yes, her memories were very different than yours. Most of her memories were dark and confused. Her mind is an awful mess, full of anger, hate , and, most of all, fear."  
"That should be Daniel."  
"No, actually, I think it wasn't. Daniel had shields up and I couldn't concentrate long enough to try to pierce through them. She, on the other hand, had a lot of mixed feelings bottled up inside of her. Now, tell me, Logan, is she dead?"  
"Dead?!? Impossible! Not her."  
"Where is she?"  
"Dunno," he shrugged, rubbing his eyes.  
"Well, do you know what she's doing here, at least?"  
"Magneto's plannin' an attack. A friend asked her to come here and make sure everythin's ok."  
"Magneto? That isn't unusual. I've been picking up his movements while trying to find my brother."  
"Magneto released 'im. They disappeared after a while, not Tom ain't answerin', and I can't find 'er."  
"Maybe I can."  
"No, ya can't," he said and Xavier winced. "She put somethin' on Cerebro, it ain't gonna work. My only hope was Tom, but he ain't gonna link me 'gain."  
"Why not?"  
"They're hidin' I know that much. When she left for the third time, she stole the linkin' chip from my communicator. She knew she wasn't gonna be comin' back, so she kept me in the dark."  
"Yes, I saw that too."  
"Ya can't tell the others, though. It's better to keep the kids away from 'er too."  
"She isn't as dangerous as you think, Logan. But you're right. She might act recklessly near the kids. What do you suggest we do?"  
"Keep sayin' there's a madman out there and hope them kids will listen to ya."  
"It might be best if they're inside. Especially with Magneto and Juggernaut on the loose. Nearly al of them didn't want to go to school. Come to think of it, only Rogue, Jean and Roberto went; the others had too much on their minds to go."  
"They home yet?"  
"Jean and Roberto might be. Rogue called saying she had to go studying with a friend."  
"She outta be back 'fore night."  
"Yes...," he trailed off.  
Logan sniffed the air around him and looked at Xavier, whom had his hands cupped in front of him and his eyes closed. Suddenly, they heard a crash coming from Logan's room.   
"She's here," Logan said and Xavier nodded. They made their way up to his room, still hearing noises of destruction coming from it. Instinctively, Xavier contacted the students and asked them to stay away from Logan's room.  
As they reached the door ajar, Logan quietly extended his claws and got ready to attack. He burst into the room and whistled. Xavier wheeled his chair carefully inside and was astonished at the mess.  
"I didn't do this," Logan said, looking darkly at the lonely figure in the middle of the room.  
Xavier turned his attention to her. Her back was turned to them , and, through a hole in the wall, the wind blew the strands that had fallen down from her braid and her cape; her scythe and her left hand glistered in the sun. She looked frighteningly intimidating, and yet very helpless and lonely. Xavier looked around the room. It was a mess! The wall was partially destroyed, Logan's bed was nothing more than a pile of junk, his desk and the closet were gone, and the TV had gone up in flames.  
"Traitor," she growled at Logan.  
"I ain't done nothing. Chuck knew everythin' already."  
"Traitor," she hissed again.  
"Faye, ya ain't thinkin' straight. Don't make me hurt ya."  
As she turned around, the word "traitor" rang several times on their heads.  
"Daniel," Logan growled.  
Xavier tried reaching inside her mind but couldn't concentrate right with the word "traitor" being whispered all the time in his mind. He looked at her and saw that her eyes were lifeless, as if she were in a trance, the same way they looked in Logan's memory of her young. Suddenly, she raised her hand and released an enormous energy blast. Logan dodged to one side, Xavier tumbled his chair to the other and the blast hit the wall behind them. Faye ran to the hole in the wall and jumped through it.  
Ignoring the Professor's request, Jean, Ororo, Scott, Amara, and Sam came running to see what had happened. By the time they got there, the Professor had already made his way to his chair and was now talking to Logan.  
"It wasn't Daniel. I'm sure of it."  
"Professor, what happened?" asked Scott.  
"Nothing. We just had an encounter with a not-so-friendly person. Ororo, please see that the others are all right. Logan, come with me."  
They left, while the others were left scratching their heads. 


	9. Betrayed

"What's goin' on, Chuck?" asked Logan, as they once more entered Xavier's private study.  
"Sit down, I'll explain everything in the best way possible," said Xavier, looking at Logan. "I don't understand it much myself, but there is a different presence inside her. It's part of her and it's part of Daniel, but it's different from them both."  
"What?"  
"Well, here's what I understand of it. Daniel's consciousness lives inside of her. She also has her own conscious apart from Daniel. However, I detected another presence, made up of a part of Daniel and a part of her. Sometimes it takes over and controls her with her knowing it; sometimes it controls Daniel's actions and powers."  
"Ok, then how come Tom don't know nothin' 'bout this?"  
"That's what I'd like to know. Maybe it's because it shows up like Daniel's energy and her energy, instead of another entity."  
"That could be a reason."  
"Nevertheless, it is just a theory. It is essential that we contact Tom and find out if we're correct in our assumptions. If we are, maybe we might be able to help her control it."  
"Right," said Logan, as he moved to the window and looked outside, thinking of a way out of this situation.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Dusk is at hand," reported Tom, as he watched Faye mumble and pace around.  
"Damn traitor, he'll pay for what he did to me. I can't believe he just told everybody like that."  
"Well, technically, just Xavier knows."  
"He had no right to stick his nose in my business the way he did. He could've wrecked all my plans. Magneto will sure think up something different, and we'll be stuck in the middle of it all."  
"It might be just fine that he changes his plans. We might not need to get involved at all."  
"Damn traitor. Oh, but he'll pay, he'll sure pay for this. He won't get away without a payback from me."  
"Faye! I'm sorry to interrupt your ranting but I'm detecting Juggernaut's energy closing in on the X-mansion."  
"What? It's too early. Magneto shouldn't be attacking now. Are the kids inside?"  
"Well, no, not all of them. Rogue is still out with Risty...uh...I mean, Mystique."  
"Where are they?"  
"Heading towards the X-mansion."  
"Are there others with Magneto and Juggernaut?"  
"Yes, there are others, but for some reason Magneto is preventing their energies to be detected. They're 1000+ feet away from the Institute."  
"1000???? They're flying?!?!?"  
"Apparently."  
"Open a portal to the roof of the Institute. Make sure you get all my readings correctly, one thing that is slightly off and I could crumble and lose the battle."  
"Alright, you don't have to tell me twice, you know."  
"Yeah, I know."  
She crossed the portal and made on top of the Institute. The sky was tinted red and pink, so many tones that made the evening so beautiful.  
*Kind of ironic,* she thought. *Such a beautiful evening for such a grim day.*  
She looked over the horizon and tried to spot Rogue's energy. She saw it sitting next to Mystique's on a car. She transformed her body and headed toward the Institute's gates. Once she got there, she waited for the car to show up over the corner. It wasn't long before it did.  
"Thanks for the rahde, Risty," said Rogue.  
"No problem, are you sure you don't want to go somewhere else."  
"Nah, Ah got this stupid curfew that Ah better follow. All because of that killah that's goin' around."  
"Oh, well. I'll see you later then."  
"Yeah, see ya."  
Risty started driving away as Rogue entered the big iron gates. The car picked up speed as it drove down the street. Suddenly, a form showed up in front of her car. Risty hit the brakes and the car screeched loudly.  
"You're late!" said Raven.  
"Uh...it wasn't my fault. She told me that she wanted to go out," Risty said transforming into Mystique  
"You were supposed to get her here before dark. What do you know about Magneto's attack?"  
"Nothing! And that's all I'm telling!" Mystique screamed, defying Raven. "Now, back off."  
"You will not defy me!!!!" she screamed back, releasing her scythe. "You will do as you are told. Now, get out of here!! Magneto will be here soon."  
"Magneto? Now?"  
"You owe me one."  
Mystique growled, started up the car and drove away. Raven looked over at Rogue, who was walking peacefully up the driveway. She sighed, transformed her body and raced towards Rogue.  
As Rogue walked a form showed up in front of her.  
"You? What are you doin' here?"  
"Get inside."  
"Forget it. You ain't pushing me around."  
"Do as I say," said Raven, reaching for Rogue's arm.  
Rogue jumped back and took her glove off. Raven sighed and caught her arm before she could do anything.   
"Stop this none sense and come with me!" she commanded.  
"Ah ain't goin' nowhere 'till ya 'splain wha's goin' on," Rogue screamed, as she tried to pull her arm free.  
"Listen to me! There's too much going on to explain everything. I'm telling you the truth," she said, taking her mask off.  
Her eyes proved the same, they looked sad and lonely, but also full of hope.  
"Y-ya...ya're alive! Jade....how...."  
"No, time. Now let's go," she said slipping her mask back on.   
She put her scythe away and pulled Rogue's arms across her chest. Then, she held on from behind her.  
"Wha's goin' on?" Rogue asked, as Raven's body changed into a thick substance.  
"I suggest you close your eyes and your mouth. Just breathe normally and you'll be fine," Raven reassured her as the thick substance embalmed Rogue's body.  
They changed and started traveling through the ground toward the Institute. Halfway through, the alarm sounded and Raven sped up. Traveling with another person slowed Raven down significantly. She couldn't go too fast or her energy would run out, and she couldn't go too slow lest something happen to Rogue. Either way, she couldn't risk anything. They traveled another quarter and stopped. They got out of the ground slowly and waited. The lights inside the X-mansion were coming on, as the alarms continued to sound.  
Suddenly, everything went quiet. Raven started tugging Rogue along as every weapon on the Institute's grounds turned and pointed at them. They ran as fast as they could, dodging every now and then the blasts coming from the weapons. As they went through, the machines short-circuited and fizzled. About eight feet away from the stairs they stopped. Raven looked around curiously, as Rogue gasped for breath. All the weapons had stopped, and Raven found that very strange. Rogue looked at her inquisitively.  
"I ain't doin' this," she replied, still searching, and released her scythe and arrowhead.  
The students were just about to reach the door when all the weapons pointed to the same spot.  
"Watch out!!" Raven screamed and pushed Rogue back.  
The weapons fired at once and all the blasts hit Raven's chest. She groaned and knelt down, gasping and groaning. She pushed herself up and got into fighting position.  
"Run," she grunted to Rogue as the weapons continued firing. Rogue started running toward the group and Raven conjured up a bundle of matter tentacles that destroyed the weapons.  
"What's going on?" asked Cyclops.  
"We're under attack! She's helpin' us!" cried Rogue.  
Once all the weapons were out, Raven ran towards the Institute, but stopped at the stairs.  
"Get ready!" she said.  
"Listen, Raven...Oracle...whatever your name is. If this is your doing," started Cyclops.  
"If this were my doing, I would've been in and out of here by now. You wouldn't even know what hit you until it was too late."  
"Ya better 'splain everythin' to them now, darlin'," said Wolverine, walking towards her.  
"Don't you 'darlin' me. I ain't forgotten what ya have done to me."  
"I ain't done nothin'. Chuck knew everythin'."  
"Whatever. He knew everythin' 'cause ya told him everythin'."  
Back at the entrance, a large pick-up truck was parked with its lights on; right behind it was a Jeep, both full of people. They climbed out of their cars and waited. From the sky, three large figures descended, two of them placed themselves among the other groups, the other raised his hands towards the gates. The hinges groaned and twisted, as the mutant pulled them off the walls. He moved his hand back and the gate came with it, then, he threw them forward and the gate flew toward the mansion.  
Wolverine and Raven were still arguing, as the sharp ends of the gates came to them.  
"Heads up!" screamed Jean.  
They looked and ducked, as Jean used her telekinesis to make the gates fly up and jam on the wall.  
"Chuck, I think ya better call for reinforcements," said Wolverine, getting up.  
"Get the other students," said Raven.  
"They're just kids," said Cyclops. "They're not prepared to fight."  
"I could say the same thin' 'bout some o' ya," Wolverine remarked.  
"I don't care. Just get them. Tell Beast to come as well," said Raven, losing her patience.  
"Hey, who died and made you leader?" asked Spyke, spiking up.  
"Bad move, bub."  
"Just do as she says," said Professor X, as Raven started up the stairs toward Spyke. "She's right. We're gonna need their help."  
"I'll hold them off; the rest of you get ready. Make the new students take the left field, you guys take the right," said Raven. "Professor, Wolverine, stay in the middle, I'm gonna drive Juggernaut and Sabertooth this way."  
They nodded and took their places. Raven transformed and went to the entrance.  
"Rogue, do you know anything about this?" asked Shadowcat.  
"She's...Jade," Rogue said.  
"What?!?" they all said at once.  
"Ah don't understand much of it either, but she better have a good 'splanation."  
"We'll see. Get ready, I think she's bringing the Brotherhood this way," said Cyclops, putting his hand on his visor.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
About three quarters of the way, she found Magneto in the air; right below him, Sabertooth and Juggernaut lead the way; behind them stood the Brotherhood and the Circus Troupe.  
"So...fancy seeing you guys here," Raven said. 


	10. Whatever It Takes

Myst could notice the face of disgust she hid behind her mask.  
*This wasn't my idea, Faye, dear,* he thought. *I helped you with as much as I could. Everything else was up to you.*  
"Well, let's see what you guys are really made of," she said, conjuring up two enormous tentacles.  
She released her scythe and waited.  
"Out of the way," said Avalanche.  
With his powers, he shook the earth, trying to get Raven to fall down. She pulled up the floor beneath her feet and made it smooth and soft, that way it could take the impact of it and she could still hold her ground. He growled; Raven shot a small blue blast on his foot and enjoyed seeing him recoil.  
"Fools, it'll take more than that to take her down," said Sabertooth.  
"I don't think you'll be getting anywhere like this," said Raven, coming back down.  
Magneto landed in front of them and walked up to her.  
"Tom. Shields," she quickly asked. Tom complied and released psychic shields around her mind. She stood up straight, waiting for him.  
"Do you really think that lowly trick will work against me?" he asked.  
"It has before."  
"Step aside, foolish girl," he thundered.  
He took flight once more and went toward the Institute. Raven followed him with her eyes, never moving.   
"Well? Isn't she gonna do anything?" asked Quicksilver.  
"Maybe," said Master Puppeteer, but Sabertooth just growled.  
Her body started glowing black and gold, and Sabertooth's eyes widened.  
"Look out!" he cried, dodging out of the way.  
The others did the same, each going to a different side, as an enormous blast of energy unleashed from Raven's headband. Sabertooth got up and looked at her, she was still in the same position as before. He walked up to her and touched her face; he saw her eyes close, but she didn't move.  
"Let's go," he said.  
"What about this one?" asked Juggernaut.  
"She can't move," Sabertooth answered.  
They walked past her, going up the driveway. Still controlling the two tentacles, she tried stomping them. However, without being able to see behind her, she just made them break up into two teams. The first, with Avalanche, Toad, Monarch, Myst, Quicksilver, and Shocker, took on Storm and the X-Men. The other, with Blob, Dome, Brawn, and Master Puppeteer, took on Beast and the new recruits.  
"Tom, do something," she pleaded.  
"Don't worry, I'll help you," said Juggernaut, hitting her in the stomach. She flew backward and landed on the ground, a couple of feet away from them. Sabertooth growled at him, but Magneto came down and stopped them. He motioned for them to attack, which they obediently complied, then turned to Raven, extended his arms in front of him and sent her flying into the Institute. Logan saw her coming, jumped up and caught her.  
"They're coming," she groaned.  
"They're already here," answered Professor X.  
She looked around and saw that, on one side, Beast had taken on Brawn--the two fighters punched and kicked, but neither backed down. Iceman was rather successful on fighting Dome. Multiple, teaming up with Jubilee and Beserker, took on Master Puppeteer. Sunspot, Magma and Cannonball fought Blob. On the other side, Monarch fought Jean in the air; Storm and Shocker were having a thunder battle with each other; Myst was giving Nightcrawler and Shadowcat a hard time, making him teleport to the wrong places and her get stuck on walls and such; Quicksilver took on Cyclops; and Avalanche rocked Spyke on.  
Raven got up and saw Sabertooth charge up to Wolverine.  
*They can take care of each other,* she thought and looked at Xavier.  
~*Don't worry, Professor. I've got you,*~ she told him.  
~*I know,*~ he answered.  
She took out her scythe and charged up to Juggernaut. Even though he was much stronger than she was, she held out to fulfill her promise.  
Magneto touched down and confronted Professor X.  
"Is this battlefield what you intended, old friend?" asked Xavier.  
"No, I actually intended to have your students fight with us and not against us."  
"It is not our wish to fight. We are here to teach humans not to fear us."  
"Don't be foolish, Charles. Humans will never accept us. We will always be inferior to them, when, in reality, we are the superior beings."  
"We are al equal, Magnus. You have the power to stop this. Do it before it's too late."  
Ah, but I won't," he said tumbling Xavier's chair.  
Raven released another wave of energy from her jewel on Juggernaut, and, seeing that it had slowed him down a bit, she jumped back and aided Professor X.  
"There's nothing you can do to stop me," Magneto warned her.  
"Maybe, but I'll still try," she said.  
He shot his arms out, making her fly back and hit the stairs, then took flight. Raven lay in the stairs and looked up. She saw an upside-down Juggernaut running toward her. She quickly raised her arms, tentacles followed them, and tried to stop him. Two tentacles wrapped around his arms, another two around his legs and a big one around his waist. She raised him from the ground and held him in the air.  
She got up and looked around to see who needed help the most. Magneto had decided to take Shadowcat.  
"Coward," she growled.  
He had wrapped a stick of metal around her and held her in the air. He saw that Raven was coming up to him and threw Shadowcat down. She started struggling to get out of the metal bar, as she plummeted down, and Raven boosted herself up with a matter pillar to catch her.  
"Uhh...," Shadowcat groaned as she tried to phase through.  
"No, Kitty! Don't use your powers!" Raven screamed, noticing what she was about to do.  
She didn't hear her and phased through both the metal and Raven's body. The computer chips she had on her head and arm short-circuited and crackled. Raven fell to the ground screaming in pain, as electricity ran down her body.  
"Faye!" both Sabertooth and Wolverine screamed, without thinking.  
Brawn had thrown Beast across the lawn, so he, hearing Wolverine's scream, jumped up and caught her.  
"Oh, dear. Faye, what have you done?" he said as he gently held Raven and took her mask off.  
Her face was distorted with pain, her eyes were wide open, as a single tear ran down her cheek; her body twisted and trembled with seizures. Sabertooth tired running to her, and Wolverine tripped him, and, then, went on her direction, but Sabertooth stopped him. The two started fighting and punching each other again.  
Brawn went to attack beast, but Beserker stopped her. Raven's seizures died down and she lay limp on Beast's arms.  
"Breathe, Faye. Come on," Beast slapped her face slightly.  
Myst walked over to him and Storm flew down ready to attack. Shocker saw it and threw two bolts of electricity on her, which hit her down and knocked her unconscious. Myst nodded to her and she went to attack someone else. Suddenly, Raven gasped deeply, looked around her desperately, and got up. She fumbled back and forth and stopped, focusing her sight on one point in the horizon. She closed her eyes and straightened her body; when she opened her eyes again, everyone could see that they had a misty complexion over them, like she was in a trance. Only one person knew what that really meant.  
Myst looked around him for the rest of the troupe. Brawn used Sunspot to knock Beserker down; Master Puppeteer was having a hard time figuring out with one of the multiples was the real Jamie; Dome had locked Magma inside on of his barriers; Monarch, on the other side of the Institute, having been left alone by Jean, who was now helping Cyclops and Iceman stop Juggernaut, kicked Shadowcat and started a good fight with her; Shocker was having fun trying to hit Rogue and Spyke. He turned to look at Raven and found himself staring deeply into her dead eyes.  
Startled, he stepped aside and let her pass. She took thee steps, and, as she was about to take her fourth, a portal opened and she stepped through.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The machinery around Tom's tank crackled and exploded. Being a direct link between all his systems and her body, the destruction of the computer chips resulted in a large number of mixed signals going through and destroying Tom's machines.  
She walked up to Tom's tank and stared at him. He laid unconscious on the light blue water, no bubbles streaming up, which meant he wasn't breathing. She placed her hand on the glass, as she'd always done, and waited, but nothing happened.  
"Tom...," she whispered and knelt down, as warm, salty tears streamed down her face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Meanwhile, outside, some of the new recruits got badly hurt trying to stop Juggernaut. Brawn and Monarch were no longer fighting, it had gotten too confusing, and the rest of the students had to hold off the Brotherhood. Myst was now fighting Magneto, and praying for a miracle to come.  
"Traitor," snarled Magneto.  
"Our contract is officially over Magneto. You're going to have to find someone else to do your dirty work," Myst screamed, throwing energy daggers at him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Raven got up with rage in her eyes. All reason and common sense had gone with Tom and the chips. She touched the glass on Tom's tank again, turned, and walked toward the opened portal. As she was leaving, a machine popped, startling her. She jumped back and kicked it; seeing that it was only a machine, she sighed and left.  
The machine exploded slightly and sent a current down its wires. Every machine that was connected to it short-circuited, including Tom's tank. This sent a current down Tom's body and his heart started beating quietly. Newly pumped blood ran down his veins, into his lungs, as small bubbles popped out of his oxygen mask.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As soon as Raven walked out of the portal, her scythe twisted and flew into her hand. She held it loosely, dragging its blade on the floor, as she walked towards Magneto. Myst looked at her and turned to Brawn.  
"Cathy, leave! Take the kids and go. Irvine, you'll stay here, I may need your powers," he said.  
"But...," she started to argue.  
"No, 'buts.' Now! GO!"  
"Come on, kids. We're leaving, our work here is done," she called out.  
"I'm staying with Jeff," said Shocker.  
"NO! Go on, all of you," he said.  
"Go on, dearie, we'll be fine," reassured Master Puppeteer.  
They left them, reluctantly. The two of them ran up to Xavier and called the remaining kids back.   
"We're here to help you," said Master Puppeteer, seeing all the kids rushing to an attack.  
"A bit late for that," said Nightcrawler.  
"Well, now we're dealing with something much worse," said Myst.  
"Daniel has taken over?" asked Cyclops, looking at the way Raven was moving across the lawn.  
"No, Daniel is a madman, without any thoughts, feelings, or reasons. This is much, much worse. Faye's mad."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Juggernaut started walking up to attack Xavier. Raven continued walking towards Magneto, and, as she passed by Juggernaut, she stopped and turned to face him. He continued walking with no fear, and then he rushed to attack her. Without moving, she conjured up thin tentacles that wrapped around his wrists, arms, ankles, legs, all over his body, and started dragging him backwards, where the ground started swirling. He tried pulling and keeping his ground, but she had become very strong all of a sudden, too strong. He was dragged back, but stopped before reaching the pool. She raised his hand and fired a blast of energy that pushed him back a little; he continued to struggle to move forward, but couldn't. She fired another blast, and another, until he reached the pool. Like quicksand, it started pulling him down, as he struggled to pull himself back. The more he struggled, the faster he sank.  
"Faye, stop, please," said Professor X. "He may hate me, but he's still my brother."  
As soon as he said that, Juggernaut stopped sinking and the ground around him hardened; all that was left out were his shoulders and head.   
Blob picked up Multiple and threw him across the grass. Raven turned and he fell on her arms; she picked him up and looked closely at him. She brought him closer to her, and, as he whimpered back, scared, whispered something in his ear. She put him down and nodded, as he looked at her curiously. He looked at Juggernaut, gulped, and concentrated. Many copies of him started appearing. She, then, motioned for Sunspot to come but he was all out of energy. She looked around for anybody else; however, the scene was deplorable. Beserker was still out cold, Sunspot was too tired to fight, and Cannonball and the others were doing all they could to stop the Brotherhood. Spyke, Shadowcat and Beast were slowed down a bit, since they got hurt trying to stop Juggernaut's ranting.  
Many Multiples walked up to Juggernaut, unlatched his helmet, and disappeared. She looked at Myst, and, immediately, he understood what she needed.  
"Jean, use your powers to take Juggernaut's helmet off," he said.  
Jean concentrated and it started moving. Magneto knocked Master Puppeteer down and concentrated on Juggernaut's helmet as well; now Jean couldn't lift it anymore. He looked around for Raven, but she was nowhere to be found. Myst's eyes widened, he concentrated on himself and disappeared, reappearing in the blink of an eye next to Jean. They all jumped back, startled, but Jean kept on concentrating on Juggernaut's helmet. Myst moved closer to Xavier's chair, as Magneto dodged one of Cyclops' blasts and closed one of the latches on Juggernaut's helmet.  
"Professor, help me get a message to all your students at once," he whispered.  
Professor X. nodded and concentrated. Multiple began making copies of himself once more, but Master Puppeteer stopped him. Once the message was sent everyone nodded; they knew exactly what to do. Magneto closed another latch and wondered what Xavier was up to.  
Master Puppeteer ran up to Quicksilver and distracted him with his powers. The new recruits, or what was left of them, teamed up and took on Blob. Beast, Shadowcat, and Rogue protected the wounded students from Toad and Avalanche's attacks. Cyclops and Storm kept Magneto busy with their powers. And since Sabertooth was still busy with Wolverine, no one worried about them. Without anyone noticing Nightcrawler teleported above Magneto, Jean held him in the air and, slowly, brought him down. When he was right behind Magneto, she stopped him and held him in the air.  
"NOW!" screamed Myst, and Nightcrawler took Magneto's cape, threw it over his head, and teleported away.  
At the same time, Raven jumped out of the floor and held on to Juggernaut's helmet. With every bit of strength she could find, she tugged and pulled.  
"Ahhh....," she screamed, as the latches gave in to her will and the helmet came off.  
Xavier tried to concentrate on reaching his brother's mind, but Myst stopped him. It would be necessary to have Xavier's powers, lest things get out of hand. Raven, quickly, threw the helmet aside and reached for her scythe. She snapped the blade and arrowhead out, and pulled a sai out of her belt. She, then, broke into a run towards Magneto, who was still fumbling around with his cape. As he pulled his cape out of his eyes, he saw Raven attacking him and held out his hand. He stopped her blade an inch from his face.  
He heard Cyclops preparing for another blast, and, quickly, turned around, holding up Raven' s body as a shield. She growled at him and tried to free herself, but couldn't. He pulled her arms apart and held them straight out; took her say and scythe away, and, pushing the blade back in, he held the arrowhead to her neck.  
"Join me," he said.  
"Never," she answered.  
"Very well," he said, pushing the arrowhead into her shoulder.  
She screamed in pain, as the sharp weapon tore through her flesh and got pulled back. Then, he held out her sai and started scratching her skin. Tears of pain streamed down her cheeks, but her face was distorted with anger.  
"Can you get to her?" Jean asked Myst.  
"No," he answered. "He's too powerful."  
"We have to do somethin'," said Rogue.  
"We can't," said Xavier, darkly. "Scott, you and the others take care of the Brotherhood. We'll think of something to stop Magneto."  
She continued to fight magneto's attacks with a solemn face. He paused and looked closely at her.  
"Ya wanna kill me?" she asked. "Well, go ahead. I ain't afraid o' ya."  
"Will you die trying to save those who don't understand you or have hurt you?" he asked.  
"I'll do whatever it takes."  
Angrily, Magneto dropped the weapons and concentrated all his power on Raven. She howled with pain, as her bones were pulled apart and twisted together. Her screams caught the attention of both Sabertooth and Wolverine, who had stranded away from the others in the heat of their fight. They watched Raven's torture incredulously. Sabertooth's coat was stained with blood and Wolverine's uniform was in pieces, but the two fighters remained unscathed, since their wounds had already scabbed.  
Sabertooth looked at Wolverine, who looked back, and they both nodded. They started running towards Raven and Magneto, and, as they reached them, they both jumped up. Startled, Magneto popped Raven's bones back into place, and everyone heard the sickening crack that came from her body. Magneto turned to face Wolverine; he released Raven and concentrated on his body, as Sabertooth caught Raven and landed safely on the ground.  
Sabertooth held Raven and looked at her--blood was coming out her mouth and nose. He hugged her tightly, wishing he could somehow give her some of his healing abilities. Suddenly, he felt a hand close in around his head. Energy started leaving his body quickly, and his wounds opened up once more. He looked back at her and found hatred and anger in her eyes. She dropped him, and looked at Magneto, as Sabertooth collapsed. A wave of green energy ran through her body, as she used her healing powers to heal her internal organs and the inside of her body; her shoulder continued bleeding and her legs gave in on her.  
Magneto threw Wolverine aside and went after her, when she transformed her body and went around the Institute. As she reached the edge of the waterfall, she turned and waited for him to come. She saw him flying toward her and got ready. Right behind him were Storm and Wolverine.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
He rushed to get to her, and, as he pushed his entire body mass into her, he picked her up and held her over the water. Her legs dangled around as he held her by the collar.  
"You think you can play with me?!?" he screamed at her. "I will show you now why you're nothing more than an experiment."  
Wolverine, who had reached the waterfall, jumped from the edge and caught Magneto's cape. He climbed his way up, still pulling his cape.  
"Leave 'er alone," Wolverine cried, tugging the cape.  
Raven pushed herself up and tried to reach for Magneto's face with her left hand. He dodged and she caught the side of his helmet instead. She pulled him closer to her and looked deeply into his eyes.  
"Experiment's over, bub," she said, raising her right hand.  
She brought it down heavily into his chest. Because of her powers, the three of them got hurled into opposite directions. Raven fell into oblivion toward the river, and Magneto and Wolverine fell back on the edge of the waterfall. Storm took a nosedive into the air and flew down to catch Raven.  
"Get Logan," she said, as Storm caught her arm. "I know you're tired, you won't be able to save the both of us."  
"But...," Storm started.  
"Trust me. Logan will jump, I know him. I don't think I'll be able to survive anyway."  
Storm looked at her, not knowing what to do.  
"Ororo, please, save him. Save Logan."  
Reluctantly, she let Raven go and turned around. As she turned, she saw Wolverine falling down toward her. Using all the strength she had left, she caught him and flew back. She dropped him into Beast's arms, who, despite the bruised ankle and the sore muscles, held on to a deranged and desperate Wolverine.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
No one saw Raven's body hit the water; somewhere, on the other side of the river, a thunder crashed into a tree branch. The large limb fell on the water and succumbed to its rage. Thick rain began pouring down, as the spirits of the X-Men were broken once again.   
About fifty feet away from where the waterfall hit the rocks, the tree bough held itself on the currents. Suddenly, a thin, metal hand grabbed one of its sprouting stems. Alone, and cold, the girl pushed herself upon the branch's thick body. It looked like a large hand consoling and protecting the tired girl. She laid down on it and looked up at Xavier's Institute, its lights were beginning to flicker on. As she slipped into comforting unconsciousness, she smiled, relieved, knowing the battle had been won, and the branch, with her on top, continued to wander aimlessly with the river.  
  
(To Be Continued...) 


End file.
